Attending the event were Mr. Moralis, mayor of Piraeus, Mr. Lagoudakis, mayor of Perama, Mr. Meletiou, mayor of Aspropyrgou, Mr. Stamoulis, mayor of Megara, Mr. Ioakeimidis, mayor of Nikaias-Ag.I. Renti, Mr. Nannou, mayor of Salamina, and Mr. Lamprini, deputy mayor of Korydallos.

First of all, Ambassador Zou accompanied the mayors to visit Pier 2 and Pier 3 of PCT. Mr. Karacostas, the Greek manager of PCT, gave a briefing to the guests during the visit. During the visit, the mayors were amazed by the port, which was neat, busy, and orderly. They also asked Mr. Karacostas questions concerning management of the port.

The two sides held talks following the visit. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Zou said that the reason for inviting the mayors to PCT was to enable them to see in person the development and changes of the terminals. Here is your homeland. You have lived here generation after generation. You are more familiar with this land than any of us. I look forward to your valuable suggestions on the future development of the Port of Piraeus.

The mayors attending the event spoke one after another. They said that it was the first time that they had visited the Port of Piraeus and they were impressed with the busy business and neat management of the port area, which increased their confidence on PCT. Not long ago the Greek government and COSCO Shipping signed the agreements on the transfer of majority stake of PPA, which was very important. Expanded Chinese investment in the Port of Piraeus will drive economic growth in Greece and help Greece out of the crisis at an early date. At the same time, with its advantages of rail-sea transport and sound infrastructure and services, the Port of Piraeus can well become an important platform for exploring the market of Central and Eastern Europe, Far East, and North Africa, and play a unique role in the development of "One Belt and One Road".

The mayors said that the cities they represent were willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with Chinese businesses to realize harmonious coexistence and common development. They hoped that while promoting economic growth and creating job opportunities, the Piraeus Port project will also promote the expansion of human resource, cultural, and social cooperation.

PCT General Manager Fu Chengqiu briefed the mayors on the operation and management of the container terminal as well as its future development plans. He also answered questions put forward by the mayors. Mr. Fu said that at PCT, the Chinese and Greek employees are like family members who respect, help, and learn from each other. COSCO regards the Port of Piraeus as its second home and protects its environment like our own eyes. Mr. Fu expressed the hope that the mayors would render more support for the Piraeus Port project and work with the Chinese side to build the Port of Piraeus into the largest port in the Mediterranean and the most competitive port in Europe.

In his closing remarks, Ambassador Zou thanked the mayors for their support for the Piraeus Port project. He said that the project would lead to comprehensive Chinese investment in Greece. Since the signing of relevant agreements on April 8, over 10 Chinese delegations have come to Greece for field studies, covering trade, tourism, finance, ship-building and repair, and logistics, etc. The Piraeus Port project is not only an economic project, but also a bridge that connects the two countries and two peoples. Harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation is the shared wish of the two sides. Today's event is an important step in this direction. He believed that with joint efforts, the Piraeus Port project will score greater success.