Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Thessaloniki Mayor Stelios Angeloudis at Maximos Mansion on Wednesday morning to discuss the major redevelopment of the Thessaloniki International Fair by 2030.
The leaders confirmed that an international tender for the project is active, paving the way for a modernized exhibition complex alongside a 120 stremmata metropolitan park in the city center.
Minister of the Interior Theodoros Livanios and the Director of the Prime Minister's Office in Macedonia, Michalis Bekiris, also attended the meeting in Athens.
Tender Progress and Project Timeline
Mitsotakis welcomed Angeloudis to the capital shortly before government officials travel to Thessaloniki following the August summer break. He described the timing of the meeting as particularly significant given the progress made on the exhibition site transformation.
The prime minister thanked Angeloudis for their cooperation, stating that the international tender addresses the city's needs while incorporating key concerns raised by municipal authorities. He added that Thessaloniki will have a new exhibition venue by 2030 while the existing facility remains operational.
Mitsotakis emphasized that the project will deliver a large green space in the city center, fulfilling the vision originally set out for the site.
Municipal Priorities and Green Footprint
Angeloudis thanked the prime minister for the reception and ongoing collaboration. He noted that securing the 120 stremmata metropolitan park had been the primary goal for local authorities and was successfully achieved through the updated design.
The mayor stressed that the primary challenge moving forward is how quickly the project can be built. He stated that Thessaloniki needs the central urban redevelopment to proceed rapidly to maximize its environmental benefit.
Angeloudis called for close coordination between government institutions, public bodies, and the municipality to ensure construction takes place in the shortest possible timeframe.
Exhibition Venue and Regional Role
Maximos Mansion serves as the official seat of the Greek prime minister in Athens. Thessaloniki, located in northern Greece, is the country's second largest city and the administrative capital of the Central Macedonia region.
The Thessaloniki International Fair, known locally as DETH, is Greece's flagship annual trade exhibition, traditionally hosting major political and economic policy announcements each autumn. The Interior Ministry, headed by Livanios, oversees municipal administration, while Bekiris leads the prime minister's dedicated office for Macedonian affairs based in northern Greece.
The planned park covers 120 stremmata, a traditional Greek unit of land measurement equal to 1,000 square meters per stremma, representing a 12 hectare green zone in the heart of the urban center.
