Gov. Holcomb to lead U.S. delegation to Greece, fostering American democracy and Indiana’s global engagement

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 at 9:43 AM

This marks Gov. Holcomb’s 26th international economic development

INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb will lead an international trip to the Hellenic Republic, better known as Greece, next week at the invitation of the Council of State Governments. The trip will focus on cultivating democracy and business, incorporating a mix of policy, business and cultural exchanges.

“I’m excited to showcase Indiana on the global scale once again,” said Gov. Holcomb. “As Indiana is a state built on democratic principles, it is fitting to travel to the birth place of democracy itself. In Greece we will forge new relationships and foster cultural ties for the betterment of our collective regions.”

Gov. Holcomb, First Lady Janet Holcomb and representatives from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation will depart for Greece this weekend, and convene with the delegation of U.S. state and business leaders in Athens. There, the Council of State Governments delegation will explore the region’s unique history, tracing the Grecian origins of American democracy and the tradition of governing by means of political debate among citizens.

Gov. Holcomb and the delegation will also spend time fostering relationships with U.S. and Greece government officials, meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Greece George J. Tsunis; Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece; Deputy Minister Kostas Fragogiannis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dimitris Skalkos, Secretary General for International Economic Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. The delegation will also work to advance private sector business opportunities between the U.S. and Greece, meeting with representatives of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Greece) and Enterprise Greece.

Gov. Holcomb has made global engagement a priority for his administration and for Indiana since being elected governor in 2016. The state is home to more than 1,090 foreign-owned business establishments, 40 countries and territories. In 2023, foreign-owned companies committed to investing $20.49 billion to locate or expand operations in Indiana – a 182% increase from 2022 and 71% of the IEDC’s total committed capital investment in 2023 – and create approximately 8,500 new Hoosier jobs.

This marks Gov. Holcomb’s 26th international economic development trip as governor and his first visit to Greece. Indiana and Greece exchanged more than $53.6 million of goods in 2023, and Greece is home to three Hoosier Corporations: Eli Lilly and Company, Corteva and Zimmet Biomet.

The cost of the governor’s travel is being paid for by the Council of State Governments.