E. VENIZELOS: Today’s symbolic ceremony is of vast importance because it sends a message of friendship and appreciation to the Chinese people, to Chinese investors, to the whole world, that the Greek economy, after six years of recession, three hard years of fiscal adaptation, and following many sacrifices by the Greek people, is rounding the corner to an upward trend.
We are truly grateful, because Captain Wei symbolizes the first major investment, which paves the way for many similar investments, for encouraging the Greek economy as a whole, for rehabilitating our country’s international image. And thus the conferring of this decoration is an act of acknowledgement of Captain Wei, of COSCO, of the Chinese people. And it is an act that is long overdue.
Today’s ceremony is a long-overdue expression of the Hellenic Republic’s appreciation for my dear and old friend Captain Wei’s vital contribution to the successful outcome of the China Ocean Shipping Group’s (COSCO’s) investment in Greece.
This investment is the cornerstone of the strategic cooperation between two ancient maritime nations: China and Greece. And it underscores the role of the Port of Piraeus as a transportation hub and logistics center for the whole of the Mediterranean; as a gateway to Mediterranean and European markets.
I call this investment a “cornerstone” because – following Prime Minister Samaras’s recent and very successful visit to Beijing – we want to build upon it with further investments by COSCO and other investors from around the world; investors who have seen and understood Captain Wei’s vision for the Port of Piraeus.
Part of that vision is the major comparative advantage of Piraeus: it provides direct access to three continents, and products coming through Piraeus reach European markets faster – 7 to 12 days earlier than via any other port in the region.
Greece takes Captain Wei’s vital role in this very successful project as a vote of confidence in our stability, our infrastructure, the high quality of our human resources. And this is a vote of confidence that will be seen and understood by those who would invest in Greece’s ever more competitive economy.
Captain Wei, it is your vision, resolve and leadership that has made this investment possible. We honour your achievement, and, through you, we also honour the tireless efforts of your collaborators in China and Greece as they worked with you to implement this project.
Your inspired commitment has added much to the friendship between our countries, and it has also added greatly to Greece’s international prestige at a critical time for our economy. Together we can achieve ‘miracles’, as with the initial COSCO investment, which many thought unattainable. We proved them wrong.
My dear friend, you have Greece’s profound gratitude, and we look forward to continued win-win cooperation and investment.
WEI JIAFU: Honorable Venizelos, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece and Foreign Minister, Ministers, Ambassador to China, and our Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Du, ladies and gentlemen, all friends, thank you very much for decorating me with the Grand Cross of the Order of Phoenix medal, and it is truly a great honor for me, for a Chinese citizen.
It is not only a recognition of my personal hard efforts, but also a recognition of the contribution made by COSCO group and the People’s Republic of China.
This decoration will encourage me and the COSCO group to further promote our business in Greece and to create a more economic vitality in the local community.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to thank you, Deputy Prime Minister, and your government and the Greek people, again, for the dedicated support to our operation in your good country.
I believe, enlightened by the principles of win-win, the collaboration will be prosperous in a broader and longer prospective. This time I especially came here to meet your Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister – also your President, tomorrow – and I had a very fruitful discussion with your Ministers of Transports and Railway and the Investment Department, and this afternoon I will meet the Minister for Maritime Affairs to further discuss about our future collaboration in railways and the expansion of the port, pier number three.
So, you saw, your Excellency, you have already seen the port of Piraeus and pier number two which is already very busy. Yesterday, I visited the terminal, I saw the container six-storey high, and four loaded, and now 170 vessels per month call at the port of Piraeus – not only COSCO ships, also all the major shipping companies they bring their ships to your port, our port.
COSCO is ranking number two in the world. Our cooperation can bring more and more ships, come to your country, and your country, your port, Piraeus, as a hub port to East Europe, Central Europe and Southern Europe, can also service through the railway, through the feeder service, all the region.
This is the most important joint venture on the shipping collaboration in your good country, because I make a decision to do this based on the bilateral relations between China and Greece. We have always kept a very good relation, and Chinese people respect the Greek culture; it is a long-long ago, it is a traditional culture, it can affect the world.
So, right now I want to do my best with COSCO, all of us do our best to support your economy, do our best to learn from your culture. Greece will be prosperous, will be overriding the current European debt crisis, and the first recovering country in this region, I believe, that is Greece.
Thank you very much.
June 27, 2013