The Greek prime Minister reassures COSCO after the failure of the Chinese plan in order to increase the ability to traffic of the container of the port of the Pireo



The Greek government is not contrary to the increase of the ability to containerized trade of the port of the programmed Pireo from Greek group COSCO through the realization of a fourth container terminal in the port of call, on condition that the company includes in the project compensating benefits to advantage of the local community and the atmosphere. Kyriakos Mitsotakis in occasion of its visit to the headquarters of shipowning group COSCO Shipping to happened Shanghai has said the Greek Prime Minister monday.

At the beginning of this month the Committee of planning and harbour development of the Greek Ministry of the marine Transport had blocked the project of widening of the terminalistiche areas in the port of the Pireo dedicated to handling of the container introduced from the group COSCO that is active in this field in the Greek port of call through the Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT), society integrally controlled from branch terminalsta COSCO Shipping Ports, and through the participation of 51% in the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA)of 11 October 2019).

In the encounter with the president of COSCO Shipping Holdings Co., Xu Lirong, and with the managing others of the Chinese shipowning group, the Greek prime Minister has specified that "the integrating plan in order to widen the ability to the port regarding the traffic of the container is a point to discuss. Until from the beginning - he has specified Mitsotakis - the Greek government has been very positive to such care, on condition of being able to persuade the local community, possibly through a series of compensation benefits, than this investment he will be put into effect in its total interest and that he will not cause a deterioration of the atmosphere. After all - he has emphasized the Greek Prime Minister - our desire it is common: to make of the Pireo the greatest port of Europe".

In its speech to the summits of the COSCO Mitsotakis it has remembered the results produced from the investments of group COSCO in the port of the Pireo, investments that had provoked many reactions and suspiciones by the Greek public opinion on their usefullness, critics - it has evidenced - that they have been refutation from the facts: "the Pireo - Mitsotakis has said - was a practically inoperative port and in little years it has become the best port for the goods of the Mediterranean. They are created 3.000 places of work and many other places of work in the induced one connected to the total economic activity of the port. I would want also to emphasize - it has added the Greek prime Minister - than this investment is made in our Country during a deep crisis financial institution. As I have said in my speech to the Business Greek-Chinese Forum, it is your company that China has believed and invested in my Country of origin when many thought that the perspectives of investment in Greece were nonexistent".

Replying to the participation of the president of the Chinese shipowning group, Mitsotakis has confirmed that the perspectives of increase of the port of the Pireo are absolutely of great interest: "we - the Greek prime Minister has asserted - will assist the Attica Region, represented in this our mission from Mr. Patoulis, in the consultation with the local community. But - it has reassured Mitsotakis - I want that you know that not there are more substantial objections to this investment in Greece and I believe that this is an important result".

From part its, in the course of the encounter of the Greek delegation with the summits of the Chinese shipowning group, the governor of the Attica Region, Georgios and. Patoulis, has asserted that "the Attica Region, taking into consideration the interests of the local communities and the maximum respect of the atmosphere, will support any project of investment that will contribute to the development of the Country and will create places of work".