Improving the daily life of passengers in the port of Piraeus As an immediate priority, the Minister of Maritime and Island Policy requested, Vassilis Kikiliasat a meeting yesterday with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Fang Qiu.
The minister stressed that before the individual discussions on the multiple aspects of significant cooperation between the two countries, it is crucial that the Chinese side will move on to the necessary investment at a rapid pace.
As he said, these can be implemented quickly, at low costs and have overwhelming benefit for travelers and the local community of the wider Piraeus region. These infrastructure includes water supply projects, access to a WiFi network, the construction of more passenger stations, shelter and security infrastructure, better route information services and more.
For his part, Fang Qiu pointed out that all of the above, including the part of social responsibility, must be taken immediately on the Chinese side and noted that in the context of COSCO’s investment in Piraeus port, China’s desire for constant growth and improvement is steady.
The debate recognized the long -term relationship and solidarity between the two peoples, which was also confirmed in recent crises (Covid pandemic, tens of thousands of Chinese citizens from Libya by Greek ships).
In addition, the important role played by the two countries in global shipping and the common will to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of competence of YNANP was emphasized.
Regarding the contribution of Greek-owned shipping to the shipbuilding sector, Mr Kikilias emphasized the need to participate in Greek shipping companies, while Fang Qiu suggested that the possibility of Greek-Chinese consortia be consumed for shipbuilding.
Finally, the two interlocutors exchanged views on wider international developments in the shipping industry and agreed to remain in contact, as the landscape is constantly changing. They agreed that EU regulations on the green transition of the shipping industry should be on a realistic basis in order not to endanger the competitiveness of such a neuralgic industry for international trade.