Athens and Beijing to deepen cooperation

China and Greece have vowed to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. While holding talks with Greek Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis in Athens on Thursday, visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai said that SinoGreek relations have seen steady and rapid development in recent years, especially in the areas of economic and investment cooperation. Ma said China Cosco Shipping’s Piraeus Port project is a good example of win-win cooperation between the two countries. He noted that both China and Greece are in key stages of reform and development, and the two countries should join forces to consolidate and further develop the cooperation momentum in all fields. The Chinese vice premier suggested the two sides should seize the historical opportunity of the development of the Belt and Road Initiative to step up all-round cooperation, promote practical cooperation through major projects, support cooperation between financial institutions in various ways, enhance balanced development by expanding trade and economic cooperation, and deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Dragasakis said Greece attaches great importance to the development of relations with China, and actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative. He said Greece wants to make use of its status as a regional hub to strengthen cooperation under the initiative.