Gerapetritis meets diplomats, highlights Thessaloniki’s role as energy, trade and tourism hub
Meeting foreign diplomats based in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on Monday, Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis emphasised the importance of Thessaloniki and Northern Greece as a hub for energy, trade and tourism in Greece, Europe and the world. He spoke about the priority given to this region by the Greek government, with projects being carried out in the last five years, and the effort to digitalise transactions at the gateways into Greece.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Interior Minister for Macedonia-Thrace Kostas Gkioulekas, who had invited Gerapetritis to talk to the foreign diplomats about the region.
Addressing the consular officials, Gerapetritis said:
“I am very happy to be here with the deputy minister for Macedonia and Thrace. It is very important that I am here to meet with the representatives of friendly nations because I want in this way to demonstrate the importance of Thessaloniki, not just as a hub in Greece but primarily for the wider region, and for Europe and the world.
“It is important to realise that for the Greek government, Thessaloniki and Northern Greece have a very high priority. In the last five years there have been huge projects to upgrade them, so that Thessaloniki and Northern Greece emerge from their downgrading in recent decades. Projects that are at this moment underway and which are due to be completed in the next few years, which will upgrade the city and the region as a whole. They will also create the conditions that will make Thessaloniki a true hub, a hub for trade, tourism and energy for our region, for Europe.
“It is true that in the past there have been certain issues regarding the quality of services provided at the gateways into and out of the country, especially in Northern Greece, with certain bureaucratic difficulties, delays, especially due to the lack of staff and infrastructure.
“At the foreign ministry we are in a phase where we are trying, on the one hand, to increase the personnel who serve, in collaboration with the Hellenic Police, but also to improve mainly the foreign ministry’s digital infrastructure. In such a way as to significantly improve the provision of these services, making most of the transactions digital and reducing waiting and completion times for all these services. These programmes are already underway and are expected to be completed over the coming period and will substantially upgrade our relations with the diplomatic missions of foreign states and foreign citizens.”