ZTE, Cosco sign cooperation agreement over Piraeus Port, PM Samaras welcomes deal

20:53 19/3/2014 - Πηγή: E-Typos

ZTE, one of the five largest telecoms providers worldwide, and Cosco on Wednesday signed an agreement for the use of Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT) as a logistics center for the products of the Chinese company, in the presence of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

The agreement was reached during the premier’s visit to China

in spring 2013 and was ratified with the visit of the Chinese company’s president to Greece.

ZTE products will be transited, through Piraeus Port, to 12 major markets in southeastern Europe and specifically to Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus.

Piraeus port is a strong growth vehicle for Greece, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said on Wednesday during a visit at the Piraeus port for the signing of the cooperation agreement between ZTE and COSCO. "It is a key gateway, it is an international hub, connected with Greece's rail infrastructure and therefore, with Eastern and Central Europe. It has become a very important global hub of transport networks," Samaras stated.

The Greek prime minister noted that Greece completes strategic infrastructure projects that exploit synergies, promote investments, enhance entrepreneurship, create new jobs and improve the competitiveness of the country.

"Today, we welcome the signing of the cooperation agreement between ZTE and COSCO, two giant companies which exploit effectively this infrastructure and operate successfully in this new context of confidence and stability, we are building in our country," Samaras added.

"This agreement is the first phase of a long-term investment which is expected to create around 600 jobs until its completion. The next phases of the investment include the construction of a repair and refund centre for the region of Southeast Europe and the later development of this centre in an assembly line, as was discussed with the president of ZTE in Athens five months ago," Samaras said.

The premier pointed out that "such investments and business partnerships contribute in a decisive way to the fight against unemployment, which - I need to say once again – is still on the the top of this government’s agenda. There are no magic solutions for unemployment. The only “remedy” for unemployment is development initiatives of this kind. Effective partnerships. Dynamic movements such as the one today, to our benefit. Moves that highlight the confidence of the international investment community, a confidence that the Greek economy has been steadily gaining."

"I would like to thank from the heart those two companies, which contribute to the development of Piraeus to one of Europe’s major ports. And I would like to thank you for being here today in Greece. It is a great pleasure and satisfaction for us and a reassurance that we will jointly proceed to a long-term framework, as the prestige, the reputation and the stretch of your company requires," he concluded.

The agreement has confirmed the confidence of the Chinese company in Greece’s economy and its pledge to invest in the Greek market, ZTE vice president Zhou Jianfeng said.

“We truly appreciate the presence of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who demonstrated his personal as well as the government’s support to the decision of the Chinese company to choose Piraeus for the setting up of its logistics center,” PCT chief executive Captain Fu Cheng Qiu said.

He estimated that the Piraeus Port would develop to the largest containers terminal in the Mediterranean and a southeastern gate for cargo from and towards Europe.

Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis, Labour Minister Yiannis Vroutsis, Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Piraeus mayor Vassilis Mihaloliakos as well as ministries and other organizations officials attended the event.