Epic Fire Sale: Russian Oligarchs Snatch Up Greek Real Estate and Energy Assets

November 21, 2012 | Filed under: Geopolitics

 

At his home in Moscow, the 53-year-old is probably the most influential Russian Greek origin. A businessman from Rostov, who has in the eighties by the workers highly worked in a tobacco factory to the chairman of the Agrokom group. Today, tobacco and meat company of his wife, and Mr. Sawidis focuses on the policy and its foreign business.

For Russians, the Hellenic crisis is a great opportunity. in nearby Cyprus they have been around for nearly 20 years, large investors, they now turn to the neighboring country, where rows of factories and homes for sale. For the investor Sawidis is Greece “a highly emotional affair,” a country that wants to help it to become profitable again. The sun-drenched state in the south, also offer him the perfect “balance between business and salvation.” He has invested not only in football, but also for example in the restoration of some churches.

Engagement with tradition

It is a commitment to tradition. In modern times, the Orthodox Russia saw itself as the protector of the Orthodox Greeks against the all-powerful Ottoman Empire. The first president of independent Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, was foreign policy before 1827 in the service of State of the Tsar. In Athens, there was a “Russian party”, which lobbied for a close alignment with Saint Petersburg. Greeks emigrated to Russia and made careers.

Ivan Sawidis, the Greek Russian sat for many years for the United Russia party of Vladimir Putin in the Duma. He knows good and criticized the Russian president that all decisions would be made today about Greece in the EU. And since determine Germany. “That’s what Greece” very hurt, he says. Russia, however, wanted to protect Greece, says Sawidis. And Russia have much to offer.

What? »Snow and frost,” he says, smiling. “These oil and gas and a lot of money.”

In Greece, the state-owned energy industry is for sale. Under pressure from the EU, the government their majority in the Greek gas company Depa, the gas network operator DESFA and participation in the oil company Hellenic Petroleum (Elpe) sell. The Russians are in addition to Japanese, Italians and Azerbaijanis to the main bidders......................

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