以下为英文原文：

Guancha: Your mayorship largely coincided with COSCO management of Piraeus port. During that time, how has the port and the surrounding areas been transformed?

Moralis: It is true that Piraeus has changed to a large extent over the last years and this significant change is due to three primary factors: a. the port’s development as well as its expansion of activities and operations deriving from the concession agreement to COSCO b. our coordinated efforts, as the municipal authority, towards the direction of creating a conducive and investment - favorable environment within our city c. several other large-scale public investments, mainly in the transport sector, for instance the completion and proper operation of the metro line which connects our city to the Athens airport and has played a vital role in the increase of visitors’ mobility and access to Piraeus.

The investment having been implemented by the Chinese, state – owned COSCO company, which is rated among the largest foreign investments in our country during the past decades, has created strong stimuli for development prospects and opportunities accompanied by further investments. This has been evident over recent years during which, despite the financial and pandemic crisis, our city is constantly developing rapidly and vigorously, not only with regards to areas surrounding the port but in several other regions as well. More specifically, there are several large companies which have proceeded to investments and are operating in our city, a radical growth in the real estate sector and especially in relation to the provision of office space is taking place and in addition, the Central Administration is attaching particular value and importance to Piraeus’ development since it is the city which hosts our country’s largest port.  

Guancha: What’s your hope for the future?

Moralis: Since Piraeus has emerged as our country’s most crucial transport hub, I hold high expectations as to that it will develop to a “smarter” as well as more extrovert and innovative city, a status which accords with a large and modern port city. Furthermore, I hope that in the future our city’s constant development will be further aligned with societal needs concerning environmental protection and the improvement of residents’ quality of life. Besides, this is one of the main reasons for our continuous, coordinated and systematic work in order to reap the benefits of the port’s development as well as encounter the negative impact resulting from its operation in our city.

Guancha: What have been some challenges in smoothing out differences in cultures, business practices, organizational structure and legal systems? How have these differences been resolved or smoothed out?

Moralis: There are, indeed, several and consecutive challenges when a company proceeds to an investment in a foreign country and especially when the investment involves countries with significantly different cultures at administrative, working, and entrepreneurial level. However, compliance with the legislation is a prerequisite and absolutely essential, especially with regards to the administration of our country’s largest port as well as to a company whose country’s national interest is enormous. For the aforementioned reasons, the port’s concession by the Greek state to COSCO has taken place in accordance with the existing legislation and legal provisions, through which both rights and obligations arise for both contracting parties.

Guancha: What do you think of the fact that Piraeus port is now considered strategic and even referred to negatively as “China’s bridgehead in Europe”?

Moralis: Piraeus has always been a strategic port due to its geopolitical position between East and West. In antiquity and more specifically in the 5th century B.C., it used to function as the war- port of Athens. I am certain that this can be easily perceived by the Chinese since their country has an equally long ancient history as Greece. Moreover, Piraeus is the home of Greek shipping which holds the largest part of the world’s fleet. It is the city – cornerstone of shipping and tourism which constitute the major and strongest pillars of Greek economy. In recent years it has been transformed to a port of modern, high – standards being competitive to the largest ports worldwide and consolidating its position as a transport, trade, tourist and maritime center of crucial significance. It is, indeed, China’s bridgehead in Europe, nevertheless, I do not consider it to be an a priori negative feature.

Guancha: Some Western critics have compared Piraeus Port to Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, which they claim to be an example of so-called “debt trap diplomacy”. What do you think of this comparison? What do you think of the “debt trap diplomacy” narrative?  

Moralis: Piraeus port management’s take over has been voted by the majority of the Greek Parliament and supported by all Greek governments over the past years. It is true that the concession was implemented during a period when our country was in precarious financial situation, nevertheless, I do not believe that Greece which is a member-state of the European Union can or should be compared to Sri Lanka at a political or economic level. However, as the Mayor of Piraeus, I can elaborate on and answer to questions concerning our city’s issues. Municipality of Piraeus aims at reaping as many benefits as possible. For example all port municipalities receive compensatory fees for the port’s operation (with specific regard to the Municipality of Piraeus, the significant sum of 2,5 million euros per year is received), job creation, as well as the further development of the cruise industry which has already reinforced our city’s tourist promotion to a significant extent. At the same time, we constantly put all our efforts and pressure in all directions towards achieving the aim of mass compliance with the legislation on environmental, investment and other issues related to the extensive traffic congestion – a burden to both our city and its residents.

Guancha: This year is the tenth anniversary of the BRI. Broadly speaking, what do you think of the BRI? How do you think Westerners should view the BRI? What do you think are some ways to convince them to take a more positive view?

Moralis: Both Greece and Piraeus’ port play a crucial and prominent role in relation to the “One Belt – One Road” Chinese initiative. In its essence, it constitutes a landmark project within the framework of China’s efforts to create a modern “Silk Road”. For China, Piraeus is the entrance gate of its exports to Europe and obviously, China is trying to establish its powerful presence not only in Piraeus but also across the whole country. I consider it to be an ambitious strategic plan with accompanying benefits for both countries. So far, Piraeus port’s development has proven that Greece and China are able to cooperate constructively and both yield significant benefits.

Guancha: Even some who are sympathetic to BRI believe that it has less to offer to developed countries than developing countries. Given that you’re the Mayor overseeing Piraeus Port, what do you think of such arguments? How can developed countries take advantage of the opportunities offered by BRI?

Moralis: According to my opinion, the reinforcement and development of bilateral relations between China and Europe as well as between China and Greece can be proven to be beneficial for all the aforementioned parts. We, representing Greece, should take initiatives and decisions towards this direction, aiming to the further promotion of our exports - for instance exporting Greek agricultural products of high quality to China, since its market is vast and it is also widely known that there is intense Chinese interest for such products -. On the other hand, Chinese technological products’ popularity is constantly and rapidly increasing in Greece, which is a sector of significant further development. Nevertheless and besides all the aforementioned, China and Greece have already been mutually benefited through the unique opportunity offered by Piraeus’ port - which acts as the intermediary, the missing link – in the fields of expertise, blue growth, culture and sport.

Guancha: What are some of the brightest areas of bilateral cultural cooperation?

Moralis: As I have mentioned previously, Greece and China share the privilege of having inherited rich cultures and long – lasting histories over the centuries and this common feature plays a vital role in our peoples’ mutual respect despite the considerable geographic distance between them. Through a broad range of multiple extroversion initiatives on behalf of the Municipality as well as the Port’s Administration, our countries are gradually laying solid foundations with regard to reinforcing and establishing closer bilateral relations alongside with becoming acquainted more thoroughly with each other’s cultures, histories and traditions, within the framework of supporting our countries’ mutual understanding.

In addition, over the last years Piraeus has established close relations with certain Chinese cities through twinning schemes. Our city is twinned with the city of Shanghai since 1985 and also, Piraeus’ and Qingdao’s twinning has initiated new prospects and opportunities for an even more constructive cooperation regarding a series of issues of mutual concern, such as blue and sustainable development, entrepreneurship, culture, tourism and sport. Moreover, the twinning of Piraeus with those cities has been promoted to a large extent through mutual visits of’ Mayors and accompanying delegations.

Guancha: How can we improve public awareness of these efforts?

Moralis: Through cooperation. We as the Municipality of Piraeus’ authorities, have been maintaining constructive cooperation with both the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and China’s Cultural Centre in Athens. We have also hosted several Chinese cultural events at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus and the Cultural Department of the Chinese Embassy participates in our Municipality’s events, as well. Our city’s extroversion has been one of our primary priorities and we are open to and welcome synergies through diplomacy aiming at the promotion and exchange of ideas, activities to be implemented and experiences at cultural, tourist, financial or entrepreneurial level. Furthermore, besides financial growth, I am particularly pleased with COSCO’s constant and increasing support and assistance to Piraeus’ society. We cooperate with the port’s Administration on such issues, as well and even though our partnership has been constructive so far, I believe that it can improve further towards the direction of Piraeus’ citizens and enterprises benefiting at the utmost possible by the financial growth resulting from our port’s development. We firmly believe that the foundation of Piraeus’ Underwater Antiquities Museum will arise to a landmark and point of reference for both our city and the port and we have also proceeded to an agreement with the Port’s Administration concerning the creation of a large children’s park within the port’s premises. Piraeus’ social prosperity is also being reinforced through donations and offerings in cooperation with sports clubs as well as several other similar initiatives, on behalf of the Port’s Administration, towards the children of every region across Piraeus.

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