SIC GROUP and the International Government Affairs Professionals Association broaden their horizons and continue collaboration with international subject-matter experts from different countries.

On July 30, Kateryna Odarchenko held working meetings with Greek professionals Eva Koulouriotis and George Despotidis – representatives of Greek GR and lobbying industries. Mrs. Koulouriotis is a political analyst specializing in the Middle East From 2011 until 2013 she was elected Vice President of the Environment, Local Government and Regional Planning Commission of the “European Union of Women – EUW”, and today she is Vice President of “EUW – Hellas”, coordinator of Commissions. She is experienced in lectures in English and Greek. In the 32nd International Council meeting of EUW, she was elected Vice President of the permanent Election Committee. In the October 2019 EUW Board meeting, she was appointed as the interim president of the newly established Culture Commission. She is also a founding member of the “European Union SMEs – EUMU” and a former Board Member, member of the “Women’s Political Association”, a member of the “The hellenic-Chinese Business Chamber”, and the global humanitarian organization “Lions Clubs International” at the Athens-Center Club of which she is secretary.

Mr. Despotidis is an influential Greek lobbyist, who is an expert in the development of public relations, effective full-service government relations, and strategic policy consulting. Mr. Despotidis has good ties with the EU institutions, including the EU Parliament, European Commission, and European Council, which confirms his global and professional approach to work. From 1991 to 2004, he worked as Chief correspondent and director of MEDIA PRESS, German Private Press Agency in Southeastern Europe. The main priority of his work was Political and Economic analysis. From 2004 to 2011, he worked as a political risk advisor specializing in relations with countries of the Black Sea region. Also, Mr. Despotidis was a registered lobbyist who represented EPEM in Belgium from 2010 until 2015. He is a professional with more than 30 years of experience working in lobbying, public and government relations, and political risk.

The main topics of the meetings of Kateryna Odarchenko with Eva Koulouriotis and George Despotisis were:

⁃ discussion of the current situation of lobbying and government relations industries;

⁃ Lobbying and GR: threats and prospects;

⁃ The development of GR and lobbying in the XXI century;

⁃ Global trends of GR and lobbying;

⁃ Comparison of GR and lobbying development in Ukraine and Greece.

As a result of productive working meetings, Mr. Despotidis, Mrs. Koulouriotis, and Mrs. Odarchenko made a decision to create the Greek Government Affairs Professionals Association – the first profiled organization of GR and lobbying professionals in Greece.

In partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Government Relations Professionals and Lobbyists, IGAPA is realizing one of the most important missions of today’s global GR and lobbying industry: creating a unique professional community of the most influential representatives of GR and lobbying industries.