On May 20, the Greek Shipowners' Association held the 2013 Annual European Maritime Trade Elite Conference in Athens. Greek Prime Minister Samaras, who had just concluded a visit to China, along with several ministers and dignitaries, attended and spoke at the event. Nearly a thousand shipowners and organizations from Greece and various European countries attended the dinner that evening.
In his speech, Prime Minister Samaras specifically mentioned cooperation with China, stating that Greece's geographical location is highly advantageous, making it a potential gateway for China to enter and exit Europe. He emphasized that Greece possesses a world-leading commercial fleet and is confident that Greece can play this important role.
After the conference, Samaras told a reporter from the China-Greece Times that his visit to China was very successful, and they discussed many matters, indicating that it is now time to put these discussions into practice. He also expressed that the warm hospitality shown by the Chinese people towards their Greek friends left a deep impression on him. He greeted the reporter in Mandarin, saying "Hello, good friend!" which he learned during his visit to China.
Recently, it was reported that Greece has ordered 142 ships from China, a substantial order that accounts for over 60% of the recent global new ship orders from Greek shipowners. In response, Samaras stated to reporters that there has already been significant cooperation between Greece and China in the shipping industry since 2012, and he believes that there will be more transactions in this project in the future.
Since the beginning of 2013, Greece, which has been affected by the debt crisis for several years, seems to be seeing the dawn of a new era. Following the successful visit of the Greek Prime Minister to China, there is hope that these two ancient civilizations can spark more cooperation, further strengthening economic and trade ties, benefiting the Greek economy while also facilitating China's access to Europe.