The 5th Balkans & Black Sea Forum (BBSF) entitled “Trading Arteries & Global Supply Chains at Stake“, was successfully held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at the headquarters of the Piraeus Port Authority.
The BBSF2024 was organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and the Piraeus Port Authority; it brought together 170 high-level executives & representatives from international organizations, government, diplomatic missions, businesses, media, and it included two keynote sessions on “Geopolitics, Regional Cooperation and Ports Hubs in the Mediterranean” the first, and “New order & trends in regional connectivity ” the second.
The Forum took place amidst the grave disruptions in global transports, shipping routes and supply chains due to the spiraling conflict in the Middle East region and the ongoing war against Ukraine, the combination of which raise profound concerns over the sustainability of global trade and supply routes. Thus, the Balkans & Black Sea Forum 2024, provided the opportunity to experts and stakeholders to look into means and ways to address the complex crisis affecting not only key trade routes but also the overall economies of many countries in the wider region.
The Alternate Minister of National Economy and Finance, Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, underlined that Greece, amidst the international and regional turmoil, remains a pilar of stability in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Hellenic Government, he underlined, has established an investment-friendly environment. Greece has the opportunity to become a regional logistics hub, a bridge between Balkans and the Black Sea. And, in this context, Piraeus’ port, as the first best port in the Mediterranean Sea, can play a catalytic role. I believe that investors can use Greece’s advantages to increase their turnover, concluded Minister Papathanasis.
Speakers that honored the BBSF2024: in representation of the Prime Minister Mr. K. Mitsotakis the Alternate Minister of Economy & Finance Mr. Nikos Papathanasis, the Ambassador of China Mr. XIAO Junzheng, the Executive Chairman of the Piraeus Port Authority Mr. YU Zenggang, the General Secretary of the International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD) and the Director General of the International Union of Railways (UIC), Mr. Young Tae Kim and Mr. François Davenne, respectively, the Counsellor of the Secretariat of China-CEEC Cooperation of MFA of China Ms. XIA Xiaoxi, the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute from the MFA of Kazakhstan Ambassador Nurgaliyev, the Director General of the Fudan Institute for Belt & Road and Global Governance Dr. HUANG Renwei, the Vice President of the China Foreign Affairs University Ms. SUN Jisheng, the Head of Investment Strategy of Piraeus Bank Mr. Lekkos, the Dpt. Secretary General of the BSEC-Permis Ambassador a.h. Mr. Rallis, the Project Manager of the OECD SE Europe, Mr. Bosshammer, the CEO of the Port of Kavala S.A. Mr. Vlachos, etc.
