By V. Vegiri
[email protected]
Two international tenders for service concessions at the ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala – but not for the outright management of the state-run port authorities – are facing delays, reportedly due to this month’s elections, for the European Parliament and local government entities.
Previously optimistic timetables cited by the government have now given way to a period after the elections, possibly over the summer. In case of a snap general election, then the tenders will come under the scrutiny of a new government and Parliament to arise from a poll.
Moreover, official US interest continues to be exhibited for the port of Alexandroupolis, which lies in extreme northeast Greece, a few kilometers west of the Greek-Turkish land border on the Evros (Maritsa) River. The specific area is considered as a burgeoning cross-road for land-based and off-shore natural gas facilities and pipelines.
The US consul general in Thessaloniki, Gregory W. Pfleger Jr., this week visited the port on the occasion of the arrival of a US-flagged vessel carrying military vehicles and containers with military materiel, destined for the multinational NATO exercise “Saber Guardian 2019”.
