The Neorion Shipyards, Syros, Greece visited on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, Her Excellency the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Ms. Irit Ben-Abba.
Along with the Military Attaché of the Embassy, Col. Zvika Shahar, Her Excellency took a guided tour of the shipyard.
Meetings and discussions followed with the administration of Neorion Syros Shipyards where the Ambassador expressed her country’s great interest in the potential of Neorion.
Specifically, Ms. Ben-Abba stated: “I was invited by Mr. Panos Xenokostas the CEO of Onex Group to visit the Onex Syros shipyards on Syros island to share ideas related to future collaboration between the shipyards and Israeli major interlocutors in the shipping and shipbuilding industries. Col. Zvika Shahar the Military and Defense attaché in the Embassy joined the visit as well.
The discussion with Mr. Xenokostas and the management team of the shipyards was very constructive and ideas were shared on potential collaborations in view of the warm bilateral relations between our countries and the strengthened trilateral collaboration in the east med. I am confident that various types of collaborations with the energetic new management of this facility and new forms of business partnerships with Israel can emerge”.
The visit of the Israeli diplomat to the country’s historic and oldest Greek shipyard comes just a few days after the brilliant inauguration ceremony of the renovated Panamax size floating dock “VIOLANDO” the largest of this type in operation, in the region and months after the huge infrastructure restoration and the re-opening of the former discredited and practically closed shipyard.
Since last spring, 60 ships have been repaired in Neorion, a historical record for the yard, thanks to the growth of demand and confidence that they have shown the Greek ship owners to the craftsmanship of the workers of Syros.
By this way Neorion Syros Shipyards in this new era, is a catalyst for the revitalization of the economy of the island of Syros, the Greek economy in general and confront the chronic unemployment and immigration of many skilled shipbuilders.
At the end of her visit Her Excellency the Ambassador, received from Mr. Xenokostas a commemorative plaquette of her visit.
