The Ambassador of Greece to Spain visits the IOC’s Executive Director

Greece highlights the importance of olive oil for its diet

On Wednesday 30 January, IOC Executive Director Jaime Lillo greeted Ambassador Ilias Fotopoulos, Greece’s representative in Spain, and Pantelis Gassios, Economic and Commercial Affairs Counsellor, at the intergovernmental organisation’s headquarters. Among other topics, the delegations assessed Greece’s involvement in IOC activities, evaluated olive oil production trends and prices, and discussed Lillo’s vision for the IOC under his new mandate.

The meeting, which also took place in the presence of Lhassane Sikaoui, Head of the IOC’s Olive Growing, Olive Oil Technology and Environment Unit, was an opportunity for the representatives to take stock of Greece’s noteworthy participation in the Organisation’s activities, through IOC supported projects, such as Gen4Olive and Elgo-Dimitra, the granting of scholarships to Greek students for a diversity of university programmes, and the contribution of Greek extra virgin olive oils to the IOC Mario Solinas Quality Award. The Ambassador and the Executive Director also analysed the current situation regarding olive oil production trends and prices, highlighting the key role that the product plays in the Greek diet and the importance of addressing the challenge of climate change. Furthermore, Jaime Lillo shared some of the IOC’s future lines of work under his mandate, particularly the Organisation’s intention to drive closer to olive oil consuming countries, in order to further disseminate the IOC trade standard and thus guarantee international quality standards for olive oil and table olives.

Greece, one of the world’s most important producers of olive oil, is represented at the IOC through the European Union.