Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-07-27

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM attends christening of 'COSCO HELLAS' in Piraeus

[01] PM attends christening of 'COSCO HELLAS' in Piraeus

"With steady and decisive steps we are proceeding to boost Greek-Chinese economic cooperation, certain that this cooperation will yield important and mutual benefits for both sides," the Greek premier said.

The 'COSCO HELLAS' is a Greek-flagged ship owned by the Greek shipping company Costamare Shipping Company SA, one of the world's largest containerization companies worldwide, and has been leased to the state-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co. (COSCO) for 12 years.

?The shipping cooperation agreement that we signed in Beijing at the beginning of the year is being implemented at a fast pace and, in this framework, is tangible proof of the new momentum of the Greek economy and the driving force for broader cooperation between two countries.?

?I am certain that Greece and China will continue to intensify their cooperation, so that the bonds of the sea and trade that link our two countries will bring our people even closer together,? the premier said.

Karamanlis stressed that Greece and China were focusing their efforts on coordinated joint action in areas where they possessed greater know-how and a strong momentum; among these he listed shipping, trade, tourism, energy, agricultural products, construction and infrastructure projects and the organisation of major sports and cultural events like the Olympic Games.

He also highlighted how the two countries were able to combine their respective comparative advantages to achieve multiplicative effects. As an example, he noted that the Greek shipping community, the largest in the world, was emerging as the biggest client of the Chinese shipyard industry and had ordered 100 large ships in the last two years.

Karamanlis stressed that China was a valuable strategic partner for Greece, both because of the large size of the Chinese market and because of the Chinese economy's rapid growth and the know-how constantly developing in this framework.

The Greek premier simultaneously pointed out important advantages that made Greece attractive to new investments and economic alliances, including:

Its political, economic and monetary stability as the only country in South East Europe that is a member of both NATO and the EU;

Its geo-strategic position as the 'crossroads' linking the EU with the Balkans, the Middle East, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, along with Greece's excellent political and economic relations with the countries in those regions, making it an ideal base for countries seeking to extend their operations in the broader region;

And finally, Greece's traditional and dynamically growing role as an important junction for combined transport and the global transit trade, especially via the sea through Greece's modern and fully-equipped ports, as a gateway to the surrounding region.

The Greek government was seeking to make full use of these advantages as a priority, promoting economic reforms that were already having a positive impact on the business environment and creating new investment opportunities, the prime minister added.

These policies were daily yielding tangible economic and social results and guaranteed sustainable, dynamic and balanced growth, new and more jobs, as well as prosperity for all, he said.

The �COSCO HELLAS� is 551 metres long and 43 metres across, with a capacity for 9,500 containers, including 700 refrigerated containers, main engine power of 101,000 BHP, a top speed of 25.5 knots and total capacity of 109,140 gt. It was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.

Its christening ceremony was opened with a speech by COSCO President and CEO Capt. Wei Jiafu, while other speakers included Costamare Shipping Company SA President Vassilis Konstantakopoulos and Chinese Ambassador to Athens Tian Xue Jun. Others attending included Greek Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyiannis, MPs and other officials, as well as members of Greece�s shipping community, including Union of Greek Shipowners President Nikos Efthymiou.

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