The Alexandroupoli Port Authority, in extreme northeast Greece, has signed as MoC with the Chinese investment group Sinoftone and Navision Capital Partners that essentially elevates the Chinese side into consultants for the port on future projects and infrastructure improvements, as well as the possible creation of a free trade zone in the area.
By V. Vegiri
The Alexandroupoli Port Authority, in extreme northeast Greece, has signed as MoC with the Chinese investment group Sinoftone and Navision Capital Partners that essentially elevates the Chinese side into consultants for the port on future projects and infrastructure improvements, as well as the possible creation of a free trade zone in the area.
As such, the future involvement of both Chinese firms in whatever projects emerge at the Port of Alexandroupoli is a likelier prospect with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), according to information gleaned by “N”.
According to reports, the latest Chinese interest in a Greek port – after a landmark deal that transferred a majority stake of the Piraeus Port Authority and its management to Chinese shipping giant Cosco over the summer – is aligned with Beijing’s highly strategic “one belt, one road” initiative to link Eurasia’s overland and maritime shipping routes.
Nevertheless, the port authority managing director, Christos Doukas, reminded this week that the MoC only renders the Chinese side as consultants, with no projects on the horizon as yet.
“It’s obvious, however, that the Chinese will in the future enter tenders for either Juncker package projects or through other programs, or tenders for port concessions”.