Speeches

1st DAY – 24.09.2021

 

 Opening greetings

– Makis Voridis, Minister of Internal Affairs, Athens

– Kostas Fragogiannis, Deputy Minister for Economic Diplomacy and Openness, Athens

– Georgios Georgantas, Deputy Minister for Digital Governance, Athens

– Christos Dimas, Deputy Minister for Development and Investments | Research, Innovation and Technology, Athens

– Ioannis Smirlis, Secretary General for International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Athens

– Georgios Zervos, Special Secretary for European Regional Development Fund, Ministry of Development & Investments, Athens

 

–  Rumen Alexandrov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sofia

M.Sc. Josip Brkić, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sarajevo

Luela Hajdaraga, Ambassador in Athens, Tirana

Igor Popov, Ambassador, Director of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy at the MFA, Skopje

Ana Vukadinović, Ambassador in Athens, Podgorica

Dr. Stanislav Raščan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ljubljana

Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Zagreb

Alexandru Ene, Political Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bucharest

 

1st Session: Cross – border green deal: green entrepreneurship, sustainable development, circular economy
Sub session 1.1

Moderator: George Kremlis, Principal Advisor to the Prime Minister for energy, climate, environment and circular economy, Honorary Director, European Commission, Mandated by DG ENV for Circular Economy and  Insularity

– Hristina Odzaklieska, Deputy Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Skopje

– Dr.Zlatko Lagumdzija, Academic, Professor of Sarajevo University Economics former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serajevo

– Olivera Vukajlović, Acting Director General of the Directorate for the promotion of the competitiveness, Ministry of Economic Development, Podgorica

 

Sub session 1.2

Moderator: Ioannis Mardikis, Director of Circular Economy and Climate Change Institute- Circular Economy Business expert

– Georgia Valatsou, Permanent Secretary General, Ministry of Interior, Athens

George Kolyvas, Former advisor at the EU Commission, Research fellow at the University of Geneva, President of UEF, Athens

Vivi Roumeliotou, Society for the Protection of Prespa, Prespes

Konstantia Dimitrakoudi, Civil Engineer MSc, Ministry of Interior (sector Macedonia and Thrace), Thessaloniki

 

2nd DAY – 25.09.2021

Giorgos Emmanouil, Balkans’ Forum Coordinator and General Director of Ministry of Interior (sector Macedonia and Thrace) “Event Experience, synergies and Balkans’ Forum prospects”

 

2nd Session:
Smart practices in cross-border cooperation with tourism-agri-food and Development Footprint for the citizens of the Balkans

Moderator: Ignatiadis Spyros, General Director of Greek Exporters Association (SEVE)

Dr. Athanasios Balermpas, General Secretary for Citizenship, Ministry of Interior, Athens

Dr. Sebnem Sözer, Head of Department EU Programmes, Cross-border Cooperation, Directorate General for financial Cooperation and Project Implementation, Directorate for EU Affairs, Ankara

Georgios Zalidis, Professor, School of Agriculture of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki

Prof. Ruska Bozhkova, Chief assistant, Tourism Department Faculty of Economics SWU “Neofit Rilski”, Sofia

Effie Lazaridou, Managing Director of “New Agriculture New Generation”, Thessaloniki

– Jean-Pierre Halkin, Head of unit for Macro-regions, Transnational/Interregional/External Cooperation, Enlargement at the session within Directorate-general for Regional and Urban Policy, Brussels

Dr. Antonios Karvounis, EGTCs National Contact Point, Ministry Of Interior, Athens

– Carmen Rusu, Assist.Prof., PhD, Vice Dean of Faculty of Engineering “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Galati

Theofilaktos Papadopoulos, Head of International Relations and Regional Policy Directorate of Ministry of Interior (sector Macedonia and Thrace), Thessaloniki

 

 3rd Session:
The role of innovation and new technologies in the development of infrastructures and networks in the new programming period 2021-2027

Moderator: Nikos Katsiadakis, Electrical Engineer, MSc in Management of Production Systems, CERTH Extroversion Unit

Stergios Kianas, ViceGovernor for Developmental Transition Planning in the Region of Western Macedonia, Kozani

Domagoj Šarić, Head of Department for Economic Competitiveness, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Zagreb

Nikos Eythhimiadis, Chairman & Ceo, Thess INTEC S.A., Thessaloniki

Mihai Νiculescu, Director General, Intelligent Transport Systems, ITS Romania, Bucharest

Dimitrios Tzovaras, Chairman and Director of Central Directorate CERTH, Thessaloniki

Milica Vračarić, CEO at Regional Agency for the Development of SME Alma Mons Ltd, Novi Sad

Aristotelis Spiliotis, Bank’s Secretary General, Black Sea Trade & Development Bank, Thessaloniki

– Orhideja Kaljoshevska, WBIF Country Manager, Skopje

 

4th Session:
New Perspectives and Policies of Cohesion and Development Tools for Strengthening the Interregional Cooperation in the Balkan area

Moderator: Prof. Agis M. Papadopoulos, Chairman of the Board EYATH S.A.

Georgios Kavvathas, President GSEVEE, Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants, Athens

Teodora Polimerova, Director of directorate “Climate, energy and air quality”, Sofia Municipality, Sofia

Athanasios Savvakis, President SBE, Federation of Industries of Greece, Thessaloniki

Gentian Xhaxhiu, Programme and Legal Manager, Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA), Tirana

Dr. Kyriakos Pozrikidis, Managing Director HELEXPO, Thessaloniki

Mjellma Mehmeti, f. state Counselor for European Integration, Ministry of Local Self Government, Skopje

Dimitris Lakasas, Ex President of Greek Exporters Association (SEVE), Thessaloniki

–  Gilles Kittel, IPA/EUSAIR/Accession negotiations Team Leader, Unit D1 – DG REGIO, Brussels