Greece, China sign 16 deals in sectors including energy

Bloomberg

Greece and China in Athens signed 16 agreements in sectors including energy, agriculture, tourism and ports.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is on an official visit to Greece for follow-up meetings with Greek officials, after Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited China last week. At that time, the leaders said they wanted to expand relations between two of the world’s oldest civilisations.
China and Greece “are natural partners” for the creation of the one belt, one road initiative, Xi said after meeting with Mitsotakis. The two countries will cooperate in many sectors and “we want to strengthen the transit role of Piraeus Port to expand bilateral trade and to invest in energy, transportation and the banking sector.”
Chinese tourists gathered in Athens’ central Syndagma Square, clutching small flags from both countries as Xi laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
“We’re opening a road that will soon become a freeway as our cooperation will be significantly enforced,” Mitsotakis said.
The common goal of both countries is for half a million Chinese tourists to visit Greece in 2021, he said.
An agreement in agriculture will see the export to China of Greek kiwi fruit as well as saffron from Kozani, a move that will boost the local economy of the small northern Greek town.
In the energy sector, the State Grid Cooperation of China officially expressed interest in a tender for linking the island of Crete to
the mainland’s power network while a separate deal was signed for Chinese participation in the 50-megawatt Minos solar project in Crete.

Port deal
Xi and Mitsotakis were to visit together Cosco’s Piraeus Port container terminal operations, the largest Chinese investment in Greece to date.