A working meeting between the management of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the senior management of Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) S.A. – COSCO SHIPPING was held on Monday.
The meeting was prompted by a recent amendment to PPA’s articles of association, which expands its investment role. The PCCI identified the development of Piraeus and the strengthening of local entrepreneurship as immediate and non-negotiable priorities.
PPA was represented by Deputy CEO Angelos Karakostas and Athanasios Karlis, Deputy Head of Marketing and Quality Control. The PCCI delegation included President Vassilis Korkidis, the entire Executive Committee and members of its Board of Directors. Those attending included First Vice-President Dimitrios Mathios, Secretary-General Maria-Anna Velli, Financial Supervisor Konstantinos Papadias, Business Advisory Support Officer Nikolaos Mavrikos and Manufacturing Section President Konstantinos Koronakis. Board members Nikolaos Vernikos, Stavros Theodoropoulos, Konstantinos Gargaropoulos, Nikolaos Kottakis, Filippos Kostopoulos, Ioannis Paraskevakos, Ioannis Polychronopoulos and Nikolaos Tountas also took part.
PCCI President Vassilis Korkidis set the framework for the discussions, focusing exclusively on the domestic market and asking whether the new investment prospects would also benefit Piraeus. The Chamber, he stressed, wanted a clear understanding of what would directly concern the port and the city.
In response, Angelos Karakostas said the new company had been established primarily to attract investment capital from outside Greece. He also stressed the need to remain focused on the existing mandatory investment plan, which is due to be completed in November 2028, highlighting the strong pace of investment and the projects already under construction to upgrade the port.
Against this backdrop, the PCCI reiterated its longstanding position: “Yes to new productive investments by PPA-COSCO, no to unchecked vertical integration.” The aim is to promote development within a clear regulatory framework, prevent unchecked market vertical integration and safeguard fair competition.
To achieve this, the Chamber formally submitted a comprehensive package of 12 specific proposals to PPA management, accompanied by measurable performance indicators.
Cruise shipping was a particular focus of the discussions, with participants examining how the sector could be developed to benefit Piraeus. On this occasion, Karakostas announced that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, a high-quality film showcasing the major port was being produced, along the lines of the film for Egypt’s iconic Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).
In their concluding remarks, PCCI board members raised key issues concerning the port’s links with the local market. Filippos Kostopoulos highlighted the capacity of the container terminal, container handling and pricing policy, while Nikolaos Kottakis focused on the urgent need to address traffic congestion around the port zones.
Ioannis Polychronopoulos stressed the importance of preventing monopolistic practices in the supply chain, while Konstantinos Koronakis called for tangible preference and support for Greek companies and domestic producers in PPA’s procurement system.
Konstantinos Gargaropoulos proposed establishing a permanent framework for cooperation between the Commercial Association and PPA management, while Nikolaos Tountas raised the issue of managing and releasing seized goods and their contents, which are placing additional pressure on logistics infrastructure.
The meeting also examined the prospect of developing dry ports to ease congestion in Piraeus, as well as the need for a reliable rail connection.
Βoard member Nikolaos Vernikos observed that the situation would hardly have been better with an investor other than the Chinese group, acknowledging the international standing COSCO has brought to the port.
The shared view that the meeting had taken place in an exceptionally positive atmosphere led to a decision to establish a permanent and structured dialogue. As PCCI President Vassilis Korkidis also indicated, the next step will be to move towards a formal framework for institutional cooperation, with the ultimate aim of preparing and signing a comprehensive memorandum of understanding between PPA and the PCCI.
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