Page 5 - TIF2018 | UNITED STATES PAVILION EXHIBITORS CATALOGUE

EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

In October 2017, President Trump accepted Greek Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras’ invitation for the U.S. to be the honored country at
the 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair, underscoring the strength
and breadth of the relationship between Greece and the United
States.
The theme for our presence at the Fair is "Harnessing the Power of
Innovation and Creativity." As you explore the American Pavilion,
organized with our partners from the American-Hellenic Chamber
of Commerce, you will have the opportunity to experience the latest
trends in technology and innovation from top American companies.
These companies show how the American culture of
entrepreneurship and innovation drives growth and spurs
economic development, improving all of our lives in the process.

The U.S. Pavilion includes over 55 U.S. companies from a broad
spectrum of sectors including healthcare, aerospace, defense,
information technology, consumer products, energy, education
and more - these companies, many of whom have been in Greece for decades, represent the best of
American business. Their presence here demonstrates our confidence in Greece’s economic future and
desire of American business to be partners in building that future. It is also intended to reinforce the role we
see for Greece - and Thessaloniki - as a gateway to the wider Balkan region, and a key regional partner on
issues like energy, logistics, and transportation.
It is no coincidence that our year as honored country at the Thessaloniki International Fair comes as the
Greek economy is emerging from an economic crisis and is re-entering global markets. Our bilateral trade
totals over two billion dollars per year and is growing, investment flows are also expanding. Our aim at the
Thessaloniki International Fair this year is to reinforce these growth, trade and investment ties. We see
opportunities for American investment in Greece’s ambitious projects for pipelines, the expansion of
natural gas terminals, as well as in privatizations like the port of Alexandroupolis and the Hellenikon project.
In other areas, ExxonMobil is teaming up with Hellenic Petroleum to explore offshore energy resources near
Crete. Lockheed Martin is working with Hellenic Aerospace Industries to upgrade Greece’s fleet of F-16s, a
contract worth $1.2 billion with great economic and security benefits for both our countries. We also see
great potential in the ICT market, with innovative U.S. firms helping increase the usage of e-government
services and make improvements in broadband penetration, electronic transactions, cloud-computing
services, and cybersecurity.
So I hope you will see that the Americans are back, and thank you for visiting the U.S. Pavilion!

Geoffrey Pyatt
Ambassador
of the United States of America