K. Mitsotakis: Nationally mandated to march in conditions of political stability – Only a stable ND government ensures them

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited on Monday morning during his tour of Eastern Attica the construction sites for the Sewage Treatment Center (KEL) of Kropias – Paania and the Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Tunnel of the Municipalities of Rafina – Pikermio and Spata – Artemisa.

“It is the largest environmental project carried out in Greece if we add up all the interventions at the level of treatment units and pipelines, whether we are talking about urban networks or the central pipelines. It is a very important intervention and of course it improves the quality of life and gives other possibilities in the region”, said Kyriakos Mitsotakis from the KEL construction site, while it is worth noting that 420 million euros were secured from the European Union, giving a solution to a decades-old problem.

“Here we are talking about one of the fastest growing areas of the country, which still had very basic deficiencies in terms of environmental infrastructure. I think this is the important intervention that is being done here”, added the Prime Minister.

The projects are part of a wide range of infrastructure that will upgrade the water supply and drainage systems of Eastern Attica. The construction of a total of four KEL and the sewage network will significantly improve the quality of life of the residents and will upgrade the area environmentally, protecting the water table and at the same time putting an end to the burden on the marine environment and the coasts.

“Very important that we don’t have the images of suffering that other European airports have”

The Prime Minister then visited the “Eleftherios Venizelos” International Airport where he had the opportunity to talk with members of the Airport staff as well as travelers.

“The most important thing is that we don’t have the images of suffering that other European airports have, and this adds a lot to the visitor’s experience, whether on arrival or departure. We show the image of a fully organized country”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “The good tourist seasons of the summer are built in the winter. I hope we continue like this and that tourism also gives us the financial breathing space we so need in this difficult time”, pointed out the Prime Minister.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis was informed by the CEO of the airport, Yiannis Paraschi, about the course of air travel this year, especially after the lifting of travel restrictions on May 1.

Particular emphasis was placed on the concerted efforts made to increase air connections to the United States, resulting in 63 flights per week and passenger traffic from the US up 50% compared to 2019.

Mr. Paraschis reported to the Prime Minister that, unlike many large airports in Europe and North America, “Eleftherios Venizelos” does not face problems of lack of workers, thanks to the proper management of the staff during the pandemic and the support from state employment protection programs such as “Co-Work”.

Mr. Mitsotakis expressed his satisfaction with the green policies that the airport company has adopted over the years, with the peak being the photovoltaic unit under construction for self-consumption, which aims at a zero pollutant balance in 2025.

Visit to camps where Ukrainian refugees are accommodated

The Prime Minister visited, in Rafina, a camp of the Municipality of Zografou where refugees from the Greek village of Sartana in Ukraine are hosted. There are also two newborns in the same camp.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis toured the camp’s facilities, accompanied by the Mayor of Zografou, Vassilis Thodas, and visited the areas where the children live and play sports, while he was informed about their studies, which continue at school.

“You know how close we are to the Greek element. And in this great tragedy, the least we can do is to provide a safe space for you, your children, for your children to go to school,” said the Prime Minister, expressing I hope this adventure ends quickly.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the port of Rafina where he was informed about its operation during the tourist season as well as the plans to upgrade, improve and expand the infrastructure of the port by the President of the Rafina Port Organization, Spyros Chrysofotis, the Managing Director of the Organization, Despina Gikakis and the Mayor of Rafina, Evangelos Bournos.

“Rafina is the natural exit gate for all the northern Cyclades”, the Prime Minister noted, stressing, however, that the port’s infrastructure “comes from the past and certainly cannot respond to the overall upgrade and the increased demand for our tourist product. I will follow the study progress of the project very closely,” concluded Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister walked along the harbor and visited the local market where he talked to shopkeepers and citizens.

“Greece is changing, Eastern Attica is changing for the better”

“I had the opportunity today to tour a number of very important projects that are being carried out in Eastern Attica, with major infrastructure being the most important. What is being done in Eastern Attica is a microcosm of the changes that are taking place in the entire country”, Kyriakos emphasized Mitsotakis during a greeting he addressed to members and executives of New Democracy in Rafina, adding that “Greece is changing, Eastern Attica is changing for the better for the good of all Greeks”.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to the completion of three years since the day New Democracy took over the governance of the country:

“Three days ago, we completed 3 years since our people trusted the government of the country. I want to thank each and every one of them. Not only for the struggles we fought then so that we could once again have this great privilege, this great honor, to manage the fate of our country but also for the struggles you have given since then.And of course for the struggles you will give from now on so that when the elections are held at the end of the four years in 2023 we are winners again. They sometimes wonder, you know, our opponents: “why are they touring and moving and going out into the world, do they have some hidden agenda, are they preparing an election and not telling us?” I repeat to them that my commitment is to whole. It is nationally imperative that we move into the next critical period in conditions of political stability, which only the stable government of the New Democracy ensures. We are not afraid of anything.

As we have managed great difficulties up to now, so we will manage the difficulties to come. And at the end of the four years, we will face off against those who make sure at every opportunity to remind us how much harm they did to the country”.

“We continue to speak with our work: Greece is changing, the economy is growing, unemployment is decreasing, major projects are being launched in every corner of our country, from the smallest step to the largest region, our social policy supports the most our weak fellow citizens. We have the trust of the Greek society and we will continue to work very hard, until the last day, to prove that we are worthy of this trust. We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” added the Prime Minister.

During his tour, the Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of the Interior and Member of Parliament for Eastern Attica, Makis Voridis, the Deputy Minister of the Interior and candidate for parliament in Eastern Attica, Stelios Petsas, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Infrastructure, Giorgos Karagiannis, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and candidate for parliament in Eastern Attica, Sofia Zaharakis, the Eastern Attica MPs of the New Democracy, Georgia Martinou, George Vlachos, Vassilis Economou, the Regional Governor of Attica, George Patoulis, the Secretary of the Political Committee of the ND, Pavlos Marinakis, the Mayor of Kropias, Dimitris Kyousis and the Mayor of Rafina, Evangelos Bournous.