Greece is emerging as a prime destination for foreign investment, thanks to favourable economic indicators, exceptional returns on the Athens stock market, and EMU membership all but guaranteed from 2001. Structural reforms, including wide-ranging privatisations, are further increasing the country's allure for foreign investors.

Recent strides in Greece's economic outlook over the past five years have upgraded Greece's rank for international investments. Greece has emerged as an increasingly sophisticated market in its own right, but also as a gateway to the wider regional market of South-East Europe , including Cyprus.

Greek-foreign business ventures focus primarily on:
•  Manufacturers , via joint ventures in production and distribution
•  Service providers in traditional sectors like  shipping  and  tourism  
•  High-technology 
•  International mutual fund managers seeking high returns for the funds under their management, encouraged by the booming  Athens Stock Exchange  .

Greek investment activity is working both ways. Thousands of Greek joint ventures are underway in the Balkans, where Greek businesses are major players . In early 2000, a Greek-Turkish chamber of commerce initiative was launched, stimulated by recent improvements in Greek-Turkish Relations . Structural improvements, especially in the transport and communications sectors, are boosting such ventures.

While the macroeconomic environment is more favourable than ever for investing in Greece, rapidly changing circumstances can make it difficult to keep updated on potentially important issues, and to get a handle on the Greek system.

In order to help foreign investors tackle issues such as laws governing business investments and hiring practices, research and development, and logistics and infrastructure, the Greek Ministry of Press and Information has compiled a comprehensive and accessible guide in English. Published in 1999, Greece: Your Strategic Partner in the New Millennium provides an up-to-date outline of all aspects of investing in Greece. It supplements other official information, such as the Greek investment framework .

Full of facts, graphs and comparative charts, the book presents issues and laws pertaining to setting up and running businesses, and highlights new developments that allow investors to maximise the value of their profits, including the recent growth of scientific centres and technological parks.