On September 25th, Antonios Karatzis, CEO of the Karatzis Group and new honorary Belgian consul in Crete, met with the Belgian ambassador for Greece, Ms. Francoise Gustin, during her recent visit to the island. He personally conveyed his appreciation for her presence through a warm welcome which included an abundant traditional meal by the sea, in the company of prominent Cretan entrepreneurs, at which all necessary safety measures were followed.
During this meeting, the ambassador engaged in discussions regarding the possibility of joint endeavours and future partnerships between Crete and Belgium. Mr Karatzis, together with the rest of the attendees present at this meeting, described these this exchange as particularly important for upcoming entrepreneurial relations between the two countries. Ms Gustin also met with the Regional Governor of Crete, Mr Stavros Arnaoutakis, and the Mayor of Heraklion, Mr Vassilis Lambrinos.
In her statements, she appeared impressed by the immense beauty of the island, as well as the authentic Cretan hospitality which the Karatzis Group and its people are known for; additionally, she expressed her wish to someday return to Crete. At the end of the meal, the ambassador deemed the meeting a success, and expressed her hope for the establishment of strong developmental and cooperative ties between Belgium and Crete, with the aim of reinforcing already existing industrial and tourism-related business activations.
In his statement, Antonios Karatzis emphasised the following: “It is a great honour welcoming Ms Francoise Gustin to Crete, and having the opportunity to offer her the experience of authentic Cretan hospitality which has distinguished our Group for all these years. Her interest in reinforcing Belgium’s relationship with our island became a subject of our meeting with the leading entrepreneurial figures of our area, and we are optimistic that this meeting has marked the beginning of a promising partnership, both on an industrial and on a tourism-related level, two sectors in which Crete already stands out in Central Europe.”