Two days full of discussions that will highlight issues concerning the strategic position of the Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace.
Opening speeches will be made by the Ministers: Defense Nikos Dendiass, Development Kostas Skrekass, Infrastructure and Transport Christos Staikouras and the American Ambassador George Tsounis. The Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace will welcome them with their own speeches Christodoulos Topsidis as well as the Mayor of Alexandroupolis Yannis Zamboukis.
The first panel to take place after the opening greetings Rising Phoenix: Social and Economic Strategies to rebuild Evros hosts the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, Christos Triandopoulos in a discussion on the reconstruction of Evros. What can be done to protect the nature reserve of Dadia and similar treasures in the future? Participants in the discussion: Antonis GravanisPresident of the Professional & Industrial Chamber of Rodopi, Spyros PamboukidisPresident & Founder of OTS and vice-president of SEPE, Marianna Nathanael, Head of Institutional Relations for Greece and Cyprus of the European Investment Bank and Christos Dermentzopoulos, Member of Parliament for Evros, ND.
The panel follows Navigating Crossroads: Geopolitics and Μigration in the Southeast Europe in which the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Vultepsi will develop the government’s policies, while afterwards there will be a discussion on the same issue between the Regional Governor of the North Aegean Konstantinou Mouzouris and his Konstantinou FiliDirector of the Institute of International Affairs and Professor of the American College of Greece.
Then the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family of Greece, Sophia Zacharakis in a firechat with journalists he will present the government’s positions on the return of the scientists who left during the period of more than ten years of crisis, through the panel “Demographics and reversing the brain drain”.
Then the Undersecretary for Energy Resources of the USA Geoffrey R. Pyatt (former US Ambassador to Athens) will deliver a speech on the subject Regional Energy Dynamics, while a themed panel will follow Unlocking Potential: Great Infrastructure Projects, Big Impact, which will be attended by: Giorgos Tsaprounis, Intracat Communications Director, George Papadimitriou, General Manager of Thermoelectric Komotini. Yannis Kirkinezis, CEO Balkans, Hill International and Aristotle Arabides Country Manager, OX2.
The afternoon of the first day will begin with the panel “Thrace & Eastern Macedonia: South East Europe’s Transport Hub” which seeks whether the transformation of Alexandroupolis into a Transport Hub can create a local economy with a greater spill-over effect in the wider region. The panel includes: Andrei Popov, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Greece, Mr Konstantinos HatjikonstantinouManaging Director at the Alexandroupolis Port Authority SA, o Stylianos Zantanidis, Airport Manager of Alexandroupolis State Airport, Dimitrios DimitriouProfessor at the Department of Economics Democritus University of Thrace, Anastasios DimoshakisMember of Parliament for Evros ND.
The panel follows FDI as a catalyst for job creation: Policy keys to unlock industry re-generation in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, which assesses whether foreign direct investment (FDI) is a key driver of economic growth and job creation. The panel includes: Lucia Sarantispresident of the Association of Greek Industries (SBE), Panagiotis StamboulidisAuthorized Advisor of TAIPED, head of the Strategic Importance Contracts Unit, Charalambos ThamnidisFinancial Director JTI Greece, Paris Gravouniotis, CEO of Komotini Paper,
The first day will close with the panel “Saving Europe from energy dependency: can Thrace be part of the solution?”. The panel includes Vicky LoizouGeneral Secretary of Private Investments at the Ministry of Development, o Evangelos ApostolakisSYRIZA Member of Parliament and member of the Standing Committee on National Defense & Foreign Affairs, Manolis Grafakos, General Secretary of Waste Management Coordination of the Ministry of the Interior, George Kopanakistechnical director of Gastrade and Anton MarkovConsul General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Thessaloniki.
The second day of the conference is opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis in a firechat with journalists and the panel follows “Local government as a catalyst for growth in the region/driver”. The panel includes: h Voula Patoulidou, Deputy Governor of Central Macedonia, Ioannis GaranisMayor of Komotini, and Spyros SpyridonCEO of the Hellenic Development and Self-Government Company (EETAA).
Following is the panel “Exploring the Nexus of Local Self-Government and Rural Development” which seeks answers to how local government can serve as a catalyst for sustainable development. The panel includes: Yannis Kalaitzakis Marketing Director at Masoutis SA, Alexandros TsiatsiamisGeneral Manager AT Management, Yiannis KoufoudakisManagement Consultant, COGNITERA SA.
An important panel titled Migration: Driver for Growth follows with the participation of the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Dimitris Kairides and his Bernd Krosser of the German Deputy Minister, at the Federal Ministry of the Interior & Communications, where there will be a discussion of great interest on the topic of immigration.
The panel follows “The role of the European Parliament in Regional Development and Self-Government: Challenges and Prospects for the future of Europe” which in a pre-election period for Europe seeks the role of the European Parliament in Regional Development. The panel includes: Nicholas Farandouris SYRIZA MEP candidate, Professor of European Law, University of Piraeus, Jean Monnet European Chair, the Andreas Spyropoulos, Secretary K. P. E. PA.SO.K – CHANGE MOVEMENT, Michalis Angelopoulos, president Scientific Council of the Institute of Local Self-Government (ITA).
Then the Rector of the Democritus University of Thrace Fotis Mariswith the ND Member of Parliament Rodopis Euripides Stylianides and the Petro SoukouliasHead of the Scientific Committee, Lighthub will participate in a discussion that will explore the dynamics of connecting universities with the labor market.
Another interesting panel on the environment and Rural Development will be discussed in the following panel “Strategies for Sustainable Rural Development in Eastern Macedonia & Thrace”. The Minister of Rural Development Lefteris Avgenakistogether with the Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakiswill present the government’s policy framework, while the panel also includes: o Michalis Katrinis Parliamentary representative PA.SO.K – CHANGE MOVEMENT, Angeliki Paparadis, technologist agronomist, Founding member and Coordinator of the “Small Greek Producers” initiative.
Then the George PitsilisAADE Governor, will have an interesting discussion with journalists and will be followed by the panel “A vibrant human canvas: Attracting talent to East Macedonia and Thrace” in which the president of TIF Helexpo will participate, Anastasios Tzikas, Angeliki Giannakidou, founder and president of the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, George Tsigaras. Professor. History of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art.
In the penultimate panel, Myron Flouris, Secretary General of Tourism Policy and Development, together with Konstantinos Palakidis CEO and Owner of Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Thraki will develop their views on “Drivers for a sustainable tourism upsurge in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace”.
The conference will close with the last but dominant panel “The contributing and prospects of female Entrepreneurship to the Regional Economic Development” a few days after women’s day where six entrepreneurs, female executives will develop their views. The discussion will include: Eleni Nalbandis ιδρυτης Kazanalba Jewels & Nalbant, Sunday Hadjisavva Owner, Ampelones Hadjisavva, Ms Sunday LegetsiDetsaridou Dimitra, Owner of Animal Feed Industry, DIMITRA, Chrysa Argyrakaki, Sali Boutique Hotel. The discussion will be coordinated by Felina KazakouSpecial Partner of Development Programs of the Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace
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