Greece's economy needs an outward-looking approach in order to survive and allow growth in the coming years, Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said on Sunday.

"We want our policy to open the way for Greek firms, and foreign companies that wish to invest in Greece, contributing to the country's growth and a rise in its international status," said the minister at an event entitled Money and Show held in Athens.

"I will defend the image of contemporary Greece in Paris on Tuesday before 110 French businesses," Bakoyiannis said.

Turning to Greek diplomacy in the Balkans, she reported that the country now enjoyed a leading role in the region as a force for peace and growth.

The government was advancing the gradual creation of a unified economic space as a parallel move to the Balkan countries' shift toward the European Union, which will aid them to meet future entry requirements, according to the minister.