Greek Infrastructure Min.: It is the first time that projects of eight billion euros have been auctioned in just three years

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr Kostas Karamanlis, referred to the projects that are changing Greece, speaking at the Delphi Economic Forum.

“It is the first time, since Greece joined the eurozone, that projects of eight billion euros have been auctioned in just three years”, said Mr Karamanlis and added: “This means that Greece is changing. These projects are changing our country and create new job opportunities.”

The Greek Minister of Infrastructure and Transport reminded that, since 2019, a prοject plan of a total amount of 13 billion euros was prepared. He noted that the goal is to have another four billion euro projects auctioned by the end of 2023.

Mr Karamanlis focused especially on the railway projects, which serve the new production model. “Thessaloniki- Toxotes: A project that was auctioned. Thessaloniki will finally become a port-gateway to Eastern Europe”, he stressed and commented:

“Do you know that, until recently, – if we had not contracted the road connection with pier 6 – the port of Thessaloniki would not even have a road connection? And, even though we want to be a serious country and we want to become a logistics center of the wider region, we do not have road and rail connection with the ports of Thessaloniki, Kavala, Alexandroupolis? ”

Mr Karamanlis pointed out that, during his recent visit to Bulgaria, it was agreed to finally start the very ambitious Alexandroupoli-Ormenio railway project that will continue in Ruse and could be connected to the ports of the North Sea and Constanta. “Do you know the geopolitical and geostrategic significance this projects has for our country? Because, in this way, we bypass the straits of the Bosphorus”, he noted.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport stated that five billion euros have already been auctioned in railway projects, which will be contracted in 18 months, and the Community funding has been secured.

He also noted that a window of opportunity is opening for the country with the Recovery Fund and clarified that this government will never announce projects without having secured some funding.

Mr Karamanlis also referred to the supply of new electric buses, but also to the new projects of the Athens Metro, which are environmentally friendly. He announced in advance that he will visit  construction site of Line 4 of the Athens Metro, in Katehaki, to show that the construction of this project, the largest project, at the moment, in Greece, has begun. “You will see construction sites in both Kolonaki Square and Exarcheion Square,” he pointed out.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport also stressed that the Thessaloniki Metro, after huge political controversies, is finally coming to en end, as this Government “said the obvious: We want Metro, but we also want to preserve the ancient artifacts, we want to preserve our cultural heritage and promote it, at the same time.”

He also referred to the strengthening of public transportation in Athens and Thessaloniki, emphasizing, among other things, that the Greek government preserved the public character of urban transportation, but, in the meantime, they also cooperated with the private sector.