Greek delegation to visit China to boost investment, exports

[ATHENS] Senior Greek ministers will start a four-day visit to China on Wednesday to try to boost bilateral investments and export trade, the government in Athens said on Tuesday.

The March 25 to 28 visit by Deputy Prime Minister Yannis Dragasakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias will be the first to China by the left-wing government since its election in January.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras talked on the phone last month and discussed sending a delegation to China to prepare for a visit by Mr Tsipras.

Mr Li had said Greek-Chinese relations had "enormous prospects", urging Mr Tsipras to back a port project.

China's Cosco manages two of the cargo piers at Piraeus port, which serves Athens. Under a privatisation scheme last year, it was shortlisted, along with four other suitors, as a potential buyer of a 67 per cent in the port, Greece's busiest.

Greece's government, elected on pledges to stop privatisations and roll back austerity, has halted the sale of the port.

Mr Kotzias is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday. Mr Dragasakis will meet one of China's vice premiers - Ma Kai - on Friday.

Greece will run out of money by April 20 unless it receives fresh aid from creditors, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

REUTERS