Piraeus Port Authority

Piraeus, Greece's largest port, is interested in securing more Chinese cruise passengers while acknowledging that the potential of the Chinese market is huge, a senior Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) official said on Tuesday.

Relations between the government and the operator of Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) could reach breaking point just weeks before the general election as an informal meeting between OLP and members of the Port Planning and Development Commission last Friday not only failed to resolve the problems for the implementation of Cosco's investment but probably generated new ones too.

The Athens bourse welcomed the results of Sunday's elections and the announcement of a snap poll on Monday. The benchmark jumped more than 6 percent, its best daily showing in almost four years, and turnover was triple Friday's.

Coca-Cola HBC and National Bank suffered significant losses in Monday's bourse session at Athinon Avenue, which saw its benchmark begin the election week with a drop that is incongruous with the wait-and-see attitude usually adopted by investors during such periods.

Significant losses over the previous days prompted a reaction from investors in the Greek stock market on Friday, in line with the rebound noted in most European bourses. However the benchmark ended the week almost 5 percent worse off, largely due to the handout package announced by the government on Tuesday.

Athinon Avenue on Monday followed the global sell-off trend triggered by Washington's intention to raise the trade war stakes with China, posting remarkable losses that were even greater for bank stocks.

Only a few days after Greece became the 17th member of the Chinese initiative for Central and Eastern Europe - now called 17+1 - Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Beijing to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. It was his third visit to the Chinese capital, after July 2016 and May 2017.

The 25 companies that make up the FTSE 25 large-cap index at Athinon Avenue recorded an increase in sales last year - mainly thanks to a robust second half - and a decline in their operating and net profits because of one-off negative results for several blue chip companies, according to data Beta Securities has prepared for Kathimerini.

Greece's biggest port is taking measures to address the problem of pollution from ships and industrial activities in the area, Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) has said.

In the next few days - if not on Tuesday - Cosco is expected to submit to the Port Planning and Development Commission a memorandum with its remarks on the watchdog's original opinion.