Topsidis meets President of the Catalan Government in Barcelona
A high-level meeting with significant development prospects for the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (EMT) took place on Saturday, 22 November 2025, in Barcelona, Spain. Regional Governor Christodoulos Topsidis met with the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and the Minister for the European Union and Foreign Action of Catalonia, Jaume Duch Guillot, at the historic Royal Palace of Pedralbes. The meeting laid the groundwork for a new interregional partnership.
Both sides discussed concrete opportunities for cooperation, focusing on high value-added sectors such as:
- Participation in European programmes and utilisation of EU funds
- Green energy and energy transition
- Transport, logistics, and connectivity
- Tourism and cultural cooperation
- Innovation, digital transition, and technological ecosystems
According to the announcement by the EMT administration, the meeting was described as particularly constructive, underlining the importance of the Governor’s ongoing international contacts in Barcelona. It also signaled that the region seeks an active and leading role in the new European regional landscape—leveraging its geostrategic position as a gateway from the European Union to the Balkans, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Statements by Governor Christodoulos Topsidis
Governor Topsidis stated:
"Today’s meeting with the President of the Government of Catalonia marks a milestone for our Region. Catalonia is one of Europe’s strongest and most innovative regions, with strategies that can serve as a model for the development of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. We discussed specific opportunities for cooperation in energy, transport, tourism, innovation, and the utilisation of European resources. Through such international partnerships, our Region opens new paths, claims more opportunities, and strengthens its role within the European environment. We continue with planning, extroversion, and determination for a Region that is present, active, and leading."
Participation in Euro-Mediterranean Summit
Earlier, Governor Topsidis attended the Euro-Mediterranean Summit of Regions, held alongside the General Assembly of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR). The Summit brought together high-level regional representatives and key stakeholders to discuss the evolving cooperation landscape under the EU’s New Pact for the Mediterranean. It provided a platform for regions to set priorities and align their positions, strengthening their influence in shaping the future of the Mediterranean.
The Governor was accompanied by his advisors, Felina Kazakou, Special Advisor to the Regional Governor, and Antonis Gravani, Special Advisor and coordinator of the Region’s Brussels Office.
