Tzitzikostas: €1.7 billion from European funds for the Evros border fence

The sojourn to Evros by the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, was completed arsenic portion of his beingness successful Thrace for Europe Day 2026.

Mr. Tzitzikostas archetypal visited the Evros border fence, wherever helium inspected the installation and made the pursuing statement:

“The European Union is simply a territory of values. At the aforesaid time, it is simply a geographical territory. And arsenic a geographical territory, it has borders. And its borders are here, successful Thrace, which constitutes the shield of the European Union. Today here, we spot the representation of Europe that protects us, that does not permission its borders to chance, that cooperates, that understands citizens person the close to consciousness safe.

The operation of the obstruction is simply a Greek initiative. An inaugural supported by the European Union with €1.7 cardinal successful backing for equipment, caller technologies, and surveillance systems. In practice, it is proven that protecting our borders is simply a shared European responsibility. Because Greece’s borders are besides Europe’s borders. And the information of Greek citizens is simultaneously the information of each European citizens.”

The Commissioner besides met with the politician of Alexandroupoli, Ioannis Zampoukis, and held discussions with precocious schoolhouse students participating successful the EU Ambassadors programme astatine the Municipal Library (“Kapnomagazo”) successful Alexandroupoli.

Mr. Tzitzikostas referred to European policies for young people, the opportunities the EU is creating for the caller generation, and the prospects processing successful Evros and Thrace truthful that young radical tin stay successful the portion and lend to its growth. As helium noted:

“Europe’s aboriginal is built done dialogue, knowledge, and the information of young people. And this is the astir optimistic connection of today: that astatine Europe’s borders, present successful Alexandroupoli and Thrace, a caller procreation of European citizens is increasing up with confidence, knowledge, and content successful a shared European future.”

The Commissioner past visited the Joint Operational Center of the Greek Police, Frontex, and Europol astatine Alexandroupoli “Democritus” Airport.

Mr. Tzitzikostas was briefed connected the enactment and practice regarding information matters and the resources disposable to support European and Greek borders. He stated:

“Here, astatine the Operations Center astatine Alexandroupoli airport, wherever FRONTEX, EUROPOL, the Greek Police, and the Armed Forces cooperate, European information is being built each day. Here we spot the representation of Europe coordinating services, utilizing technology, people, experience, and institutions, knowing that information is not thing abstract, but an mundane operational reality.

We cognize precise good the repeated and analyzable migration pressures Thrace has faced implicit the years. And successful these hard moments, the women and men serving present demonstrated professionalism, composure, endurance, and a precocious consciousness of responsibility. That is wherefore I explicit my respect and gratitude connected behalf of nine for their important enactment successful safeguarding Greece’s information and the information of each European citizens. This is precisely the Europe that functions properly.”

He aboriginal visited the DESFA Natural Gas Measurement and Regulation Station successful Amfitriti.

Among different remarks, the Commissioner stressed:

“The repeated vigor crises of caller years proved that vigor information is not simply an economical contented and cannot beryllium taken for granted. That is wherefore Europe indispensable proceed investing—and is investing—in the diversification of vigor sources, suppliers, and networks. Greece is rapidly evolving into a captious vigor hub for Southeastern Europe. And Thrace contiguous has peculiar geopolitical and vigor value for each of Europe.

LNG arriving present astatine the Amfitriti presumption enters the Greek web and from determination supplies Southeastern and Central Europe, strengthening the vigor information of the full region. In essence, Alexandroupoli has present go a cardinal strategical constituent connected Europe’s caller vigor map. And this is particularly important due to the fact that Europe’s vigor independency is simply a prerequisite for its economical strength, societal stability, and strategical autonomy.”

As portion of his visit, the Commissioner besides met with the Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Christodoulos Topsidis, astatine the Alexandroupoli Prefecture building, wherever helium referred to the decisive relation of determination authorities successful turning European backing into measurable projects for citizens and businesses.

He emphasized that implicit the past 10 years, the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace has secured €1 cardinal successful European funding, upgrading infrastructure, improving prime of beingness and regular surviving conditions, and supporting much than 22,600 section businesses. He besides referred to the upcoming motorboat of roadworthy and railway projects connected the Alexandroupoli–Pythio route, portion of the caller Aegean–Black Sea corridor.

“All these projects show successful signifier what a Europe of cohesion means: a Europe that invests successful regions, reduces inequalities, and strengthens section communities,” helium underlined.

The Commissioner besides visited the operation works of Alexandroupoli’s Eastern Ring Road and met with young entrepreneurs from Thrace progressive successful startup businesses astatine the Business Support Structure successful the erstwhile Bank of Greece gathering successful Alexandroupoli.

Addressing the young entrepreneurs, helium stated among different things:

“The existent system is not theory. It is you. It is your businesses. It is the employees you prosecute and the families who beryllium connected you. When we speech astir European policies, we indispensable speech astir however they impact your regular lives. And the EU present understands this well. Competitiveness is nary longer conscionable 1 among galore priorities. It is the apical priority.

That is why, successful signifier and not conscionable successful words, the Commission is reducing bureaucracy and excessive authorities by 30%, simplifying regulations and procedures, and removing obstacles that protected nary 1 but burdened everyone. Because we privation a Europe that regulates erstwhile necessary, but trusts erstwhile appropriate. A Europe that is an state of entrepreneurship, not an obstacle.”