PM unveils 4.2-billion-euro program of projects for Central Greece
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday presented a program of 540 projects with a budget of 4.2 billion euros for the region of Central Greece, including key motorway and rail upgrades.
Speaking at the cultural center of the city of Lamia during a tour of the region, the premier said that the amount of funding received by Central Greece Regional Authority via the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) has doubled to 426 million euros in the 2021-2027 Development Planning, from the 196 million euros that had been allocated in the NSRF 2014-2020.
This “recovery program,” Mitsotakis said, “comes in support of the region’s choices.”
Referring to the European Route E65 – a 4,400 kilometers stretch of motorway that begins in Malmo, Sweden and ends in Hania in Crete – Mitsotakis said that construction of the Lamia-Amfissa segment will begin soon, as it is “a difficult, expensive project.” The Bralos-Amfissa segment of the Lamia-Itea-Antirio road is also under development, he noted, stressing that the E65’s entire southern Greek leg will be operational by year’s end.
Speaking about railway network upgrades, Mitsotakis said that the 122 kilometers of the Tithorea-Domokos single-track line will be replaced by a two-track line. By autumn, a train telemanagement system will be installed on the Athens-Thessaloniki-Promachonas line, albeit delayed, he pointed out, turning the entire region into a transport hub.
The new main road in northern Evia (which belongs administratively to Central Greece Regional Authority) project will “finally bring northern Evia out of isolation and truly provide it with new prospects,” he said, while also making special reference to funding for tourism in the region.
Speaking at a party event later on Monday, Mitsotakis stresses that despite the numerous crises his party has faced since being elected to government in 2019, it kept its basic promises to the Greek people.
“No government from the end of the junta on had to face in its rule most of the externally caused crises than our government did. From migration invasions at Evros borders in March 2020, the constant threats of an aggressive Turkey, to the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the invasion of global high prices, a series of large natural catastrophes, flooding, the Ianos weather front, the catastrophic fire in northern Evia. You do not need to imagine what would have happened to our homeland if these calamities had happened to others had they been in power,” he said. [AMNA]
