[AMNA]
Deputy economy and finance minister Nikos Papathanasis emphasized the importance of regional collaboration at an event marking the 35th anniversary of the European Union’s Interreg program and its 20th year of activity in Thessaloniki.
Papathanasis said planning has begun for the 2028-2034 Interreg program period and added that the European Commission has proposed allocating 10 billion euros to the initiative.
“Greece can and must assume an even more prominent role and act as a gateway for cooperation between the EU, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean,” Papathanasis said.
He added that Greece currently manages five Interreg programs with Bulgaria, Italy, North Macedonia, Cyprus, and Albania, and takes part in eight transnational interregional cooperation programs.
“We have over 2,500 actions implemented in Greece with shared benefits for neighbouring countries and a significant contribution to local communities and economies,” Papathanasis said. He added that under the five current programs, more than 70% of the available resources have been activated, funding 105 projects with a combined budget of 240 million euros.
A typical example, he said, is the Prespes-Lemos-Markova-Noga cross-border project, part of the Greece-North Macedonia program.