中国和希腊的传统友谊基于我们的理念有许多相似之处，中希在和谐、正义、公平等方面是心灵相通的。刚才萨马拉斯总理提到中国的老子、孔子。中国人也十分熟悉贵国先哲的名字，像苏格拉底、柏拉图、亚里士多德。希腊很多神话故事在中国家喻户晓。中国古老的传说也为希腊人津津乐道。我听说希腊有这样一个说法，“一位希腊人的骨子里可能藏着一位中国人，一位中国人的骨子里可能藏着一位希腊人。”它表达了一种非常值得我们珍视的情感，就是中希友谊牢不可破。

The traditional friendship between China and Greece is based on the many commonalities in our thinking. China and Greece are of the same mind on harmony, justice and fairness. Prime Minister Samaras mentioned China’s philosophers Laozi and Confucius. Actually, the Chinese people are also very familiar with the names of your ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Many Greek myths are well-known in China and China’s legends are widely told among the Greek people. I heard people in Greece say that there may be a Chinese hidden in a Greek and a Greek hidden in a Chinese. In fact, it represents something very valuable, an unbreakable friendship between China and Greece.

此次是我担任中国政府总理后首访南欧国家，就选择了希腊。我们不仅开展了深入交流，更要推动务实合作。昨天，我同萨马拉斯总理进行了深入会谈，达成广泛共识。两国签署了海洋合作谅解备忘录，决定将2015年定为中希海洋年，成立中希政府间海洋合作委员会，加强在海洋科技、环保、防灾减灾和海上执法等领域务实合作。

I have chosen Greece to be the destination of my first visit as China’s Premier to a Southern European country. During the visit, we have not only carried out in-depth exchanges, but more importantly, advanced practical cooperation. Yesterday, Prime Minister Samaras and I had in-depth talks and reached broad agreement. The two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Marine Affairs and announced the decisions to designate 2015 as the year of oceans for China and Greece, establish the inter-governmental Joint Committee of Marine Collaboration and enhance practical cooperation in marine science and technology, environmental protection, disaster prevention and reduction, maritime law enforcement and other areas.

今天上午，我同萨马拉斯总理一同考察了比雷埃夫斯港，在那里中国的中远集团同贵国企业进行了富有成果的合作。需要指出的是，从中国的沿海通过苏伊士运河经地中海到达比港，是中国到欧洲最短的航运距离。比港有着十分优越的地理位置，中国和欧盟的贸易规模巨大，欧盟是中国第一大贸易伙伴，每时每刻都有大量货物往来，其中80％通过海上运输。如果我们把中国到比港的这条航线建设好，它就能成为中欧贸易发展十分重要的又一条大通道，正像萨马拉斯总理所说，比港就会成为中国到欧洲的重要门户。中希在比港合作，也会使比港成为欧洲乃至世界上最具竞争力的港口。

This morning, Prime Minister Samaras and I toured the Piraeus container terminal. The China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) operating there has conducted fruitful cooperation with Greek companies. I want to point out that the shortest distance of shipping from China’s coast to Europe is through the Suez Canal to Piraeus via the Mediterranean. The two-way trade between China and the EU is of a huge size and the EU is China’s largest trading partner. Every day, goods are traded between China and the EU, and 80% of them are transported on the sea. If we fully develop the route of Piraeus, which enjoys a remarkable geographical advantage, it will become yet another major passage for China-EU trade, or, in the words of Prime Minister Samaras, an important gateway from China to Europe. China-Greece cooperation will make Piraeus the most competitive port in Europe and even the world.