European Union Regional Policy Commissioner
Corina Creţu
is visiting Greece on April 5-7 to discuss the bloc’s Cohesion policy
and see how EU funds can further help encourage investment, improve
infrastructure and boost growth developments in Greece.
On April 5, the Commissioner will address the Greece’s Parliament in Athens and meet with Energy and Environment Minister
Giorgos Stathakis, Economy, Development Minister
Dimitris Papadimitriou and the Deputy Minister in charge of Cohesion Policy Funds
Alexandros Charitsis.
In the evening, Creţu will participate in a citizens’ dialogue on the
future of Europe, based on the Commission’s White Paper and on the
future of Cohesion policy.
On April 5, Cretu will meet with Greek Prime Minister
Alexis Tsipras at the Maximos Mansion.
On April 5-6, the Commissioner will visit projects in Greece
co-financed by the EU. Together with Tsipras, she will inaugurate the
tunnel of the Tempi valley, the last stretch of the highway that crosses
the country to connect Athens to Thessaloniki.
“This is Herculean project that symbolises the EU’s longstanding
support for Greece, since the construction of this highway began in the
1990s with Cohesion policy funds,” Creţu said before her visit.
“This is the fifth time that I have visited Greece since the
beginning of my mandate. In my area of competence, I am personally
committed to accompanying Greece on the path of growth and to ensuring
the development of the whole region.
“The new momentum for employment and growth in Greece has borne fruit
and has accelerated the strategic use of European funds, but it is time
for me to return the country to see what can be improved so that we can
ensure the success of EU investments that can immediately develop the
country’s real economy,” the Commissioner added.
The head of the EU delegation in Greece
Panos Karvounis
said that Greece’s exit from the crisis is connected with the increase
of investments. “The Commissioner’s presence marks this development.
From the beginning, the European Commission has supported Greece on all
levels. In Greece we ought to use these Commission tools and investment
opportunities at the best way that our country can exit the crisis once
and for all,” the EU delegation head said.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/greece-cretu-boost-regional-development/