Greek PM to attend inauguration of New Suez Canal

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will lead a high-ranking delegation to Egypt to attend the inauguration ceremony of the New Suez Canal, slated for August 6, the Greek ambassador here has said.

Egypt will start a new era and will become a major world player through this new waterway, if it is connected with the Greek Port of Piraeus, a gate to Europe, Chris Lazaris told MENA.

The new canal will increase the number of transiting ships by three times, Lazaris said, stressing that this fact cannot be ignored, especially where maritime trade is concerned.

He said his country will sure benefit from the New Suez Canal, given the big expansions of the Port of Piraeus, which is planned to be the biggest in Europe.

The Port of Piraeus is expected to accommodate about seven million vessels annually, the diplomat noted.

Establishing the Suez-Piraeus project will help control maritime trade, thus turning the Middle East into a big economic power, Lazaris said. This should be done through implementing maritime services projects using the one-stop-shop system and through manufacturing equipment, he explained.

Greek companies are willing to contribute to any projects that might be needed to develop the Suez Canal area, Lazaris said.