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🇬🇷 Greece /Economy & Trade

“Without Industry, There Are No Exports”: Tzitzikostas Delivers Message at Thessaloniki Fair

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said industry makes the largest contribution to the GDP of Greece and Europe during the opening of the Hellenic Industries Association pavilion at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
  • He pledged to push in Brussels for responses to challenges facing industry and said competitiveness is a top priority for the European Commission.
  • Tzitzikostas highlighted planned road and rail links connecting Greece with Bulgaria, Romania, Central Europe, Moldova and Ukraine as a way to lower transport costs and improve industrial competitiveness.

“Without industry, there are no exports. Without industry, there are no jobs.” Apostolos Tzitzikostas used that message to open the pavilion of the Hellenic Industries Association at the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, arguing that the sector supports not only production but also the towns and networks built around it.

The EU commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism said industry contributes more to the GDP of Greece and Europe than any other economic sector. He pledged to fight in Brussels for credible answers to the pressures facing industry, while stressing that the European Commission has made competitiveness one of its leading priorities.

Tzitzikostas pointed to a planned north-south road and rail corridor linking Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, with Thessaloniki connected to Bucharest, Central Europe, Moldova and Ukraine. “A modern motorway, a modern railway” would help manufacturers move products abroad and bring in raw materials faster, more safely and at lower cost, he said.

Without industry, there are no exports. Without industry, there are no jobs. Without industry, there are no entire towns and networks built around them.

· Apostolos TzitzikostasThe EU commissioner emphasized industry's role in exports, employment and local economies.

He also referred to a recently presented European strategy for the shipping and shipbuilding industries. The aim, he said, is to use targeted incentives not only to stabilize the sector but also to keep shipbuilding in Europe. He further cited the Industrial Accelerator Act and said it should be discussed at the association’s headquarters. A visit to Thessaloniki by European Commission Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné was also planned for talks on industry and infrastructure.

Tzitzikostas said his presence at the fair reflected both his personal relationship with the association and his current European portfolio, which he said covers activities equivalent to 30% of EU GDP and 40% of Greece’s GDP because of tourism. Decisions taken in Brussels, he added, have a direct impact on Greek industry.

A modern motorway, a modern railway. Do you understand what this means for industry?

· Apostolos TzitzikostasHe described the expected benefits of planned transport links for manufacturers.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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