This morning in Igoumenitsa, in the presence of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the signing ceremony of the contract for the sale of 67% of the Authority's share capital Igoumenitsa port to the Italian shipping group Grimaldi ( of 21 March 2023). Bearing in mind that the transfer of the allows the Hellenic to be injected into the state coffers of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) over €84 million, Mitsotakis said: "Today is a very important not only for Igoumenitsa, but for the whole of Epirus, which is In fact, starting a journey into the new era, raising the anchor from here, from its main port, since the handover of the management of the to a large shipping giant like the Grimaldi group means more growth for both the national economy and the the local one." "Igoumenitsa - recalled the prime minister Greek - is the third largest port in the country. Yes It is a key gateway to the nation, a vital link in the supply and transport chain being the country's main western gateway to Europe, a "bridge" for passengers and goods to and from Italy. And, in the at the same time, a junction that connects the Ionian and Adriatic Seas with the entire South-East of the Mediterranean. So let's talk about an important port which is being strengthened and which will give rise to the a significant boost to many areas of economic and social life."

Mitsotakis specified that the contract formalizes a economic partnership that is compatible with the needs National. I want to remind you that the public remains shareholder of the port organisation through HRADF with a percentage of 33%. I also want to remind you that 85% of the rent The Municipalities of Igoumenitsa and Filiaton are granted an annual concession for local projects. In other words, the new port becomes a departure for new activities, but also for new infrastructure for the benefit of the entire region. I want to remind you – Mitsotakis added - that the same group, also said it Grimaldi is also investing in the very important port of Heraklion, proposing a figure close to 80 million euros'. The Naples shipping group, in fact, is has been selected as the preferred bidder for the acquisition 67% of the Port Authority of Heraklion ( of 12 June 2023).

"This shows that - continued the president of the Council of Ministers - that its business plan is not is not limited to the local level, and this in turn indicates that Greece is becoming an important partner of strategic agreements and a field of large international investments. It becomes a magnet for cross-border capital, which translates into in collective prosperity. And I would also like to point out, in in particular, the dimension of the nascent strategic alliance that the our country is developing with Italy. Italy is a great investor in our country. This relationship expands further with the presence of the Grimaldi group, here at Igoumenitsa'.

In his speech, the group's CEO Grimaldi, Emanuele Grimaldi, pointed out that the The main issue of the company is that "the port of Igoumenitsa expresses its full potential for the benefit of all stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally. We - he specified - We have an ambitious investment plan that aims to further develop the commercial activity of the port, the ferry segment, the cruise industry and also the the navies'.