http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/11/06/afx7095868.html

ATHENS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Greece has picked a former merchant marine
minister to become the new chief executive of Piraeus Port (OLP), to
renegotiate a controversial concession deal with China's Cosco
Pacific.

George Anomeritis, Merchant Marine Minister between 2001 and 2003,
will also have to deal with a rolling strike by dockworkers, who are
opposed to the agreement for fear of job cuts.

'Mr. Anomeritis will take over as Chairman and chief executive at OLP,
to start the dialogue on a renewed basis,' government spokesman George
Petalotis told reporters on Friday.

Greece signed last year a 3.4 billion euro ($5.06 billion) deal with
Cosco Pacific (CPL), the world's fifth-largest port operator, in an
effort to turn the terminal into a regional hub.

The deal is for CPL to run an existing and a planned new pier for up
to 35 years.

Incumbent CEO Nikos Anastassopoulos had offered his resignation to
Greece's new, socialist government, which won a snap election last
month. Greece owns 74 percent of OLP.

Piraeus dock workers have staged a series of strikes since Oct. 1, the
day Cosco Pacific was to start managing the port's piers, fearing the
Chinese company would cut jobs.

They suspended the walkout on Oct. 17 but resumed it this week, saying
their demands were not met after talks with Greece's Economy minister
Louka Katseli.

The government has vowed to renegotiate the contract but Petalotis
warned the workers on Friday that the talks would not start unless the
strike is called off.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou, editing by Will Waterman)

($1=.6722 Euro) Keywords: PIRAEUSPORT CEO/

(renee.malte...@reuters.com; +30 210 3376439, Reuters Messaging:
renee.maltezou.reuters....@reuters.net)

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