2nd Southeast Europe Connectivity Forum held in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki hosted the 2nd Southeast Europe Connectivity Forum, focusing on economic and transportation cooperation between regional countries. Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Christos Stylianides, announced plans to visit Türkiye on November 22 to discuss maritime issues with Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. Stylianides emphasized the importance of developing friendly and constructive dialogue between the two nations in the maritime sector.
During his speech, Stylianides highlighted that the development of Greece and Thessaloniki would also benefit neighboring countries like North Macedonia. He stressed the need to resolve regional issues to enhance prosperity and make the area an example of stability. Stylianides also pointed out that strengthening the European Union’s connectivity with the Western Balkans would increase integration into the common European market, benefiting both the region and Europe’s economic integrity.
North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Aleksandar Nikolovski, announced plans to build a natural gas pipeline with Greece to reduce dependence on Russian gas. He also revealed efforts to modernize the railway link between Thessaloniki and Skopje, reducing travel time to 1.5 hours.
Greek Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras, added that the main line of Thessaloniki’s metro system would begin operation on November 30, further enhancing the city's transportation infrastructure.
Deputy Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Gioulekas, emphasized the geopolitical advantages of Northern Greece and the importance of cooperation among Southeast European countries, stating that regional collaboration is the only viable path toward building a shared future.
Photo: Official X account of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy