Mr George Patoulis: Our common objective is strengthening of bilateral relations in areas of growth and exchange of know-how for the benefit of citizens.
In the aftermath of the commemoration events organised by the Region of Attica in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Athens on the occasion of the National Remembrance Day of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, Mr Patoulis met with the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr Noam Kats, at the Attica Region premises.
“It is an honour to have you here on such a special day, as we all have to convey a strong message of never allowing that atrocity to be repeated,” stated the Regional Governor of Attica, welcoming Mr. Kats. For his part, the Ambassador of Israel thanked the Regional Governor of Attica for the holocaust commemoration events.
After focusing on the longstanding cooperation between Greece and Israel, based on development pillars such as energy, business, culture and tourism, the Ambassador of Israel to Greece stressed that the people of Israel are particularly fond of our country, as shown by the thousands of Israelis who visit it every year.
“Attica plays a key role in the country’s growth potential. We thus are determined to establish constructive relations of cooperation with the largest region of the country,” noted the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, and was subsequently informed by the Regional Governor about the priorities for growth in Attica.
Mr Patoulis pointed out that Attica has changed and is on a development path and acknowledged the potential of a wide scope of cooperation in areas such as energy, culture and tourism. Thereupon, Mr Patoulis made particular reference to the regional strategy in the field of waste management, stressing that the exchange of know-how between the two countries in this field would be particularly beneficial.
Furthermore, referring to the energy crisis, the Regional Governor of Attica informed the Ambassador of Israel to Greece about the actions undertaken by the Region with regard to energy saving and the implementation of environmentally friend policies, such as the support of electro-mobility. Mr Patoulis also expressed his willingness to create energy communities, in cooperation with the Municipalities.
The Regional Governor of Attica then focused on the issue of tourism, stressing the importance of thematic tourism, such as Health Tourism. Mr Patoulis also proposed the creation of a common scientific network on the protection of citizens’ health, stressing that the Region focuses particularly on prevention and screening actions.
“Our common objective is strengthening of bilateral relations in areas of growth and exchange of know-how for the benefit of citizens. We will establish an open line of communication in order to lay the foundations for a constructive relationship” the Regional Governor stated at the close of the meeting.