The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis, the businessman Evangelos Mytilineos, the shipowner and founder of Stealth Maritime Corp Harry N. Vafias, Dimitris Theodosiou and the shipowner Dimitris Coustas of Greek shipping company “Danaos Management Consultants S.A”, and the president of Enterprise Greece Myra Myrogianni, were declared honorary members of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PCCI).
The eighth joint event of 12 productive entities of Piraeus was held with great success, on January 8, 2024, with the consecration and cutting of the New Year’s pie, at the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
By unanimous decision of the board of PCCI, the entrepreneurs received an award and declared honorary members of PCCI, recognizing the long and valuable contribution of their companies to the business market, whilst the minister of foreign affairs was recognized for his important and valuable contribution to the work of the Chamber.
Haris Vafias, after referring to his family’s business journey and the subsequent involvement of his father and himself in shipping, pointed out that “we must invest in extroversion”.
Piraeus, as he said, has maritime DNA, and has nothing to envy either London or Singapore.
Here, he said characteristically, is the shipping center, stressing that we must invest in it with the appropriate conditions and with the help of the government, so that we not only succeed in being number 1 in Europe, but also compete with China, which is our biggest competitor.
Our DNA concluded, “it’s salty,” he emphasized.
Giorgos Gerapetritis, the minister of foreign affairs, delivered a greeting from prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, noting among other things that the government’s commitment to upgrade the country’s first port is being implemented, with vision and perspective in cooperation with the local authorities.
The minister Gerapetritis referred to the international geopolitical scene shaped by the two wars and the problems in navigation safety and characteristically noted that Greece is at the cutting edge of economic development, while the investments that are coming show, but also confirm, confidence in the country’s economy.
Also, G. Gerapetritis, emphasized that he feels the Chamber is his home, praised the tireless effort of its president, Vassilis Korkidis, to make the Chamber an institution about the economic activities of the city and not only, but also its role in the economy and business, hoping that next year the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the Chamber will be celebrated.
