A common decision was signed today by the Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Michalis Chrisochoidis for the operation of the airport of Tripoli as a common use airport between the Air Force and the Civil Aviation and a simultaneous temporary concession of property utilisation to the Civil Aviation Authority.
The current agreement was signed at the presence of the regional governor of Peloponnese Petros Tatoulis, the Secretary General of Decentralised Peloponnese, Western Greece and Ionian Islands Giorgos Didaskalou, the Governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority Dimitris Koukis, the Chief of HNDGS General Michail Kostarakos and representatives of local authorities and bodies of Peloponnese.
The two Ministers stated, among others:
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: The concession of this area for the construction of the necessary infrastructure required by the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority and the common use of the landing strip, the runway and apron area will enable the operation of a civil airport in a particularly significant geographical position.
……The Greek people severely hit by the crisis, seeking for job posts is aware of this effort made by the government and asks us to speed up our government work and mostly its results. They ask for results, the call us to readjust our state’s manner of operation and justly demands us to overcome bureaucratic obstacles, to change our rapidness to respond, to listen to the needs of local communities and to foresee, to anticipate and be prepared.
This is what a modern state does…
……I believe that as of next year, the airport of Tripoli will serve also its new purposes and it will contribute to growth, it will help productive classes, it will help the Agricultural Sector, the Tourist Growth and will give a new impetus and perspective to this area of our land which over the last years is a priority of our governmental and national policy.
……But I would like also to note one thing. One of the reasons that such questions usually are not promoted, is that even in our land we have not yet reached a supreme level of communication between us.
Influence race, ministers’ patriotism, a weakness – if I may say so – to a common understanding and common decision making. The fact that Tripoli airport project has not progressed so far is a story of its own.
All bodies should cooperate closer. You have nothing to disagree about. Care for the interest of our Homeland, the interest of this Region, the interest of your land.
You all have a course. We all have a course and we are judged at the end according to what we left as a result behind us.
This part of Peloponnese, as well as the entire Peloponnese, indeed is a diamond. It was said and it’s important that it was said by Michalis who is not from Peloponnese because if I say so you’ll say that I am praising my homeland.
More growth is required. There has been a great effort mostly by the private sector. We must admit that, because state authorities try to achieve it, yet they had not always the means and possibilities.
We must respect enterprises, investors and all those who cultivate the land and give them the possibility to increase their productivity.
Therefore, a message which we want to send you today and you may see it also in our wonderful and excellent cooperation is: Cooperation, common understanding and everybody for a common cause.
M. CHRISOCHOIDIS: A network of very important infrastructures is created, which will help Peloponnese promote a significant tourist growth over the following years, as well as a productive activity of new, high quality products to be exported. The new airport may help this activity too. A new significant infrastructure is added. It is a full plan which is applied under the cooperation of the Region, the Municipalities and the central Ministries and this is the value of this moment. This is a progress for our country: that egoism and bureaucracy have been put aside and public agency work together to find out solutions and create the necessary infrastructure for the country.
Mr. Chrisochoidis wished Mr. Avramopoulos good luck in his following office, saying: Greece is lucky because Dimitris Avramopoulos will be the next Commissioner of Internal Affairs, responsible for issues of security in Europe, for fighting crime and terrorism and of course he will have to deal with one of the most important issues that concern our planet, immigration.
Dimitris, you will migrate for immigration. I wish you from the bottom of my heart to manage and deal with this issue; this human river which flows every day from the south to the north, from the east to the west, and deal with it with humanness and consideration. Good luck.