PM Mitsotakis meets with UniCredit CEO Orcel and Alpha Bank CEO Psaltis

Athens,Greece.- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the CEO of UniCredit Group Andrea Orcel and Alpha Bank CEO Vassilis Psaltis at the Maximos Mansion, on Monday.
“I have always believed that Europe needs stronger and more competitive banks. Any cross-border cooperation should be for the benefit not only of the shareholders but also of all the banks involved,” Mitsotakis said, adding that he was pleased with UniCredit’s decision to significantly increase its stake in Alpha Bank.

“This is an interesting cooperation between countries in the south, which may have surprised some of our friends, some of our friends in the north, in terms of our economic performance,” Mitsotakis said. He added that he was also interested in exploring new products and how Alpha Bank can further contribute to financing the growth of the Greek economy by leveraging UniCredit’s expertise and balance sheet data.
For his part, Andrea Orcel said that the cooperation with Alpha Bank works very well and underlined that with the bank’s leadership they are discussing to combine social programmes with business activities.

Psaltis stressed that Alpha Bank-UniCredit cooperation is the first of its kind in Greece after the financial crisis. As he stressed, it is a practical expression of confidence in Greece’s future and a sign of trust in the future of the Greek economy.

Government sources noted that during the meeting Psaltis presented initiatives undertaken by the bank in response to the government’s exhortations and policies aimed at acquiring affordable housing and stimulating financing for the real economy.

The same sources added that Alpha Bank is preparing a special study to be submitted to the government, aiming to present policy proposals to boost housing supply and support citizens in their efforts to acquire a home. It was also stressed that Alpha Bank is placing particular emphasis on financial inclusion, with solutions that contribute to better access to financial services for underserved or remote areas of the country.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

source:amna.gr