Municipality of Kythera: Press Release for the Island Municipalities Workshop

With absolute success held in the Kythera the workshop «Island Self-Government: challenges and perspectives» organized by the Institute of Local Government (ITA) with the cooperation of the Hellenic Society for Local Development and Self-Government (EETAA) and the Regional Union of Municipalities of Attica (PEDA) and under the auspices of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE).

The conference was honoured with the presence of the Deputy Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy Mr. Konstantinos Katsafados, the Secretary General of the Aegean and Insular Policy Mr. Rev. Metropolitan Seraphim of Kythera and Antikythera, while the Governor of Attica Mr. George Patoulis, the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Mr. Leendert Verbeek and the President of ITA and Mayor of Papagou-Holargos Mr. Elias Apostolopoulos participated online.

The proceedings were attended by mayors of islands and urban municipalities from all over Greece, members of the Board and the Scientific Council of the ETA, representatives of local authorities and distinguished academics, who analysed important issues of everyday life, operation and challenges of island municipalities.

Ο Mayor of Kythira welcoming the participants, stressed the need for institutional protection of island municipalities and analyzed a series of issues concerning the islands, as discussed at the meeting of the island Mayors with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis 3 months ago. At the end, he presented a plaque of honour to the Deputy Minister and the Secretary General of Shipping, the President of KEDE, the President of EETAA and the Mayor of Vrilissia on behalf of the ITA, while he thanked the Director of the ITA Mr. Dimitris Soufra, the executives of the ITA and the Municipality of Kythera and the co-organizers for the excellent preparation of the workshop.

Our Municipality, through the many years of self-governing experience of Mayor Mr.Eustris Harhalakis, is at the centre of institutional developments concerning self-government and will continue to intervene dynamically at every level in order to resolve the serious institutional and administrative issues that concern the island municipalities and directly and decisively affect the daily life of citizens.

Watch the speech of the Mayor of Kythera here

Photo by Dionysios Andronikos