IMPORTANT NOTICE: THE FORUM HAS BEEN POSTPONED, DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GREEK STATE. NEW DATE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Athens, January, 2020
Six years after the beginning of the BELT AND ROAD Initiative by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and the political relations between Greece and China are at their best.
The excellent relations were confirmed by the meetings of the Honorable Chinese President Xi Jinping with the former Prime Minister Tsipras, the current Prime Minister Mitsotakis and the Honorable President of the Hellenic Republic Pavlopoulos.
In order to promote the BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE, BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES organizing, for the first time in Greece, the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020” on 2 April 2020.
We invite you to participate to “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020”, which is supported by the Greek Government and business Organizations (Chambers, Associations etc) from China and Greece.
Please click here to download and complete the REGISTRATION FORM or send an email to oborforum@gmail.com to Register.
The organizers of the ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020, having considerable experience in organizing conferences but especially in the Chinese mentality, have designed the following actions for the Conference.
- FREE ACCOMODATION. The organizers will cover the cost of accommodation (hotel/breakfast, 3 nights) for one (1) representative from each selected company from China. The main criterion for choosing a company to cover costs is to have already invested abroad. The selection of companies and persons that can be hosted free of charge in Athens is the sole responsibility of the organizers of ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020 *.
- FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE. All Chinese attending the Conference will be offered free shuttle service to and from Athens Airport (according to schedule).
- FREE VIP DINNER. All members of the Chinese delegation will participate in the VIP DINNER (the day of the Conference), with invited key stakeholders from the Greek Government, Sponsors and the business world.
- NO REGISTRATION FEE. There is no registration Fee for all Chinese who will participate in the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020”.
- FREE TOUR IN ATHENS. All members of the Chinese delegation will be offered a tour of Athens, as well as an accompaniment to visit the commercial market (the center of Athens) for shopping.
- INTERPRETATION. During the conference, in the Main Conference Hall, there will be simultaneous interpretation from Greek into Chinese and from Chinese into Greek
- IMPORTANT B2B MEETINGS. B2B meetings will be organized with great care to maximize efficiency for Greek and Chinese businesses. The organizers pay particular attention to the topic of B2B meetings as this is where the substantial success of the Conference is hidden.
- MEETING WITH THE GREEK GOVERNMENT. The next day of the Conference, a meeting of the Greek Government will be organized with the participants of the Delegation from China.
* Investing overseas means investing in any country other than China, whether in Asia, Africa, Europe, or elsewhere.
THE RELATIONS OF GREECE and CHINA
The best possible environment has now been created to further promote economic relations between Greece and China. Economic relations with very high growth potential.
- Investment by Chinese companies in Greece is still very low in value (relative to and proportionate to other European countries) and may increase in the future.
- Investments of Greek companies in China have already begun and may increase in the future.
- Exports of Greek products to the Chinese market, despite their increase in recent years, still remain low in proportion to other European countries.
- China can become a base for the promotion and distribution of Greek products in the Southeast Asian countries.
- Greece can become the distribution center (HUB) of Chinese products for the Southeast Mediterranean market (Europe, Asia, Africa) as well as the AIR HUB for the transportation of Chinese products and tourists to the Southeast Mediterranean.
- The number of tourists traveling from one country to another has enormous growth potential.
The main objective of the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020” is to create a platform for communication between businesses and Organizations in both countries.
The targets of the ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020 communication platform:
- Informing Greek businesses of the prospects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for Greek businesses, investor finding opportunities, export opportunities to China and Southeast Asia (via China), opportunities to attract tourists from China and the possibilities of sending tourists to China.
- Informing Chinese businesses that invest overseas of investment opportunities in Greece, the possibilities of using Greece as a distribution center for Chinese products but also as an AIR HUB for Chinese tourists to the wider Southeast Mediterranean region.
- Networking of Chinese and Greek companies.
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ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020 AGENDA
The Conference, in the Central Hall, will feature 14 Speeches, half on the Greek side and half on the Chinese side. The aim is to serve the two-way dimension of the ONE BELT ONE ROAD Initiative. Greeks will understand China’s opportunities for Trade, Investment and Tourism. The Chinese will have a better understanding of Greece and will learn details about investment opportunities in many areas (Energy, Logistics, Tourism, Infrastructure, Construction, Agri-food, ICT, Waste Management etc).
The Conference will take place in a central Athens Hotel (to be announced soon).
Indicatively, the Agenda of the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020” is the following, the specific may be slightly changed or adjusted. Please refer to the notice of the organizing committee:
MAIN CONFERENCE HALL
08:30 REGISTRATION
9:00 Welcome speech: Minister of Development & Investments (tbc), Ambassador of China (tbc), Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs)
10:00 Keynote speech: INVEST IN ENERGY IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
10:20 Keynote speech: ONE BELT ONE ROAD MEANS ‘TWO DIRECTIONS’ (Chinese Speaker)
10:40 Keynote speech: INVEST IN LOGISTICS IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
11:00 Keynote speech: INVEST IN CHINA (Chinese Speaker)
11:20 Keynote speech: PRIVATIZATIONS / INFRASTRUCTURE IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
11:40 Keynote speech: CHINA AS A HUB FOR GREEK EXPORTS TO SOUTH EAST ASIA (Chinese Speaker)
12:00 Keynote speech: INVEST IN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
12:20 Keynote speech: CHINA OUTBOUND TOURISM (Chinese Speaker)
12:40 Keynote speech: PRIVATE PUBLIC PROJECTS (PPP) IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
13:00 BUFFET LUNCH
14:30 Keynote speech: RESIDENCE PERMITT BY PROPERTY, BONDS, SHARES IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
14:50 Keynote speech: FOREIGN CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN CHINA (Chinese Speaker)
15:10 Keynote speech: INVEST IN ICT IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
15:30 Keynote speech: HOW TO GET FUNDED FROM CHINESE INVESTORS (Chinese Speaker)
15:50 Keynote speech: INVEST IN TOURISM IN GREECE (Greek Speaker)
18:30 VIP DINNER FOR THE CHINESE DELEGATION
B2B HALL
9:00 B2B MEETINGS
13:00 LUNCH
15:00 B2B MEETINGS
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020”
During the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020”, or/and the day before and the day after, a series of events with targeted content will be organized.
Suggested presentations are (may vary):
- Presentation of the strategic plan “GREECE AS THE AIR-HUB OF CHINA IN SOUTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. DIRECT FLIGHTS ATHENS – CHINA”. Representatives of Chinese Local Governments, Chinese Airlines, Chinese Tour Operators, etc. will be invited from the Chinese side. Presentation with the presence of representatives of the Greek Ministry of Tourism and relevant departments.
- Presentation of the 5 largest private development projects in Greece (tourism, Hellinikon project etc). Presentation with the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Development and Investment and the relevant departments.
- Presentation of the Athens Stock Exchange, the best performing international exchange in 2019.
- Presentation of the privatization programs of the Greek State. Presentation with the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Development and Investment and the relevant departments.
- The future of Waste Management in Greece. Presentation with the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the relevant Authorities and Departments as well as the Region of Attica.
- Presentation of the plans of the Greek State in the field of Energy and the conversion plan of Greece into an Energy HUB in the SOUTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. Presentation with the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and relevant Authorities and Departments.
- Presentation of Greek LOGISTICS FACILITIES (Thriasio Logistics Park, Piraeus PORT etc.)
These presentations will be closed to the general public, organized exclusively for companies and operators from China.
ORGANIZERS
The initiative to organize the “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020” comes from BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES.
BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES started in 2016 with a very clear business plan. Bridging Chinese Investment Funds with Investment Projects, on the way of China’s “One Belt One Road” Initiative. We deal mainly in mergers and acquisitions and investment banking. BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES executives are people who have been working with Chinese companies for 20 years and know the secrets of doing business with this wonderful people. At the same time, we know the Greek market very well, so to bring together people and businesses from the two countries to achieve successful partnerships.
BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES has long been trying to promote BRI as it is the organizer of the only investment forum in China to date to promote Greece as an investment destination, a 35-member Greek delegation in Xi’an, China December 10-13, 2017.
BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES is the representative in Greece of CHINA SHIPPING GAZZETTE, the Chinese shipping bible. It is the only company that participates in the CHINA GO ABROAD network (http://www.chinagoabroad.com/en/) as a representative of Greece and regularly participates in exhibitions and Forums in China aimed exclusively at Chinese overseas investors.
Responsible for organizing “ATHENS ONE BELT ONE ROAD FORUM 2020” is George Floras, managing partner of BELT AND ROAD ASSOCIATES.