Agenda

draft as of 10.02.2025

8th THESSALONIKI SUMMIT

“Navigating the Shift:

Economic & Industrial Policy and Southeast Europe's Future”

Porto Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki Greece

February 17-18, 2025 | Monday & Tuesday

 Monday | February 17

14:30’

Arrival of guests - Registration

15:30’

Welcome Address

Loukia Saranti, President, Federation of Industries of Greece

Yiannis Thomatos, Executive Vice President, Delphi Economic Forum

Konstantinos Gioulekas, Deputy Minister of Interior for Macedonia and Thrace, Hellenic Republic

Nana Aidona, Governor, Region of Central Macedonia

Stelios Angeloudis, Mayor of Thessaloniki

16:00’

Opening Speech

The role of the Council of Europe in strengthening democracy and human rights in S.E.Europe

Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

16:15’

A World in flux

✔ Evangelos Venizelos, Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2015), Hellenic Republic

✔ Dora Bakoyannis, Member of the Hellenic Parliament; Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006-2009), Hellenic Republic

Dimitris Kairidis, Minister of Migration and Asylum (2023-2024); Member of the Parliament, Hellenic Republic

Athanasios Platias, President, Council for International Relations; Professor of Strategy, Department of International and European studies, University of Piraeus

✔ Ino Afentouli, Executive Director, Institute of International Relations (IDIS)

17:15’

Fireside Chat

Nikos Androulakis, Leader of the Opposition, President, PASOK-Movement for Change

17:30’

Lunch Break

18:00’

Fireside Chat

Sokratis Famellos, President, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance

18:15’

How Middle East Conflict Affects Migration flows in the Region

✔ Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Minister of Migration and Asylum, Hellenic Republic

Nicholas A. Ioannides, Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Republic of Cyprus

✔ Omar Amer Youssef, Ambassador, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Hellenic Republic

19:00’

Redefining Relations: Europe and the U.S. in a Post-Election World

Alexandra Papadopoulou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hellenic Republic

✔ Nikolaos Bakatselos, President, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

Constantinos Filis, Director, Institute of Global Affairs

19:45’

END OF THE FIRST DAY

 Tuesday | February 18

09:30’

Arrival of guests

10:10’

Welcome Address

Athanassios Savvakis, President, Organizing Committee, Thessaloniki Summit

10:15’

Address by

Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew

10:25’

The EU’s Transport corridors and Southeastern Europe Transport infrastructure

Christos Staikouras, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Hellenic Republic

 Grozdan Karadjov, Deputy PM and Minister of Transport and Communications, Republic of Bulgaria

Vladimir Bolea, Deputy PM; Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Republic of Moldova

11:10’

Fireside Chat

Giorgos Pitsilis, Governor, AADE

11:25’

Energy imbalances and Energy cooperation in Southeastern Europe

Alexandra Sdoukou, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Hellenic Republic

Belinda Balluku, Vice Prime Minister; Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Republic of Albania

Antonios Kontoleon, President, Hellenic Union of Industrial Consumers of Energy

Dr. Agis Papadopoulos, Chairman, Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewerage Co. SA – EYATH SA

✔ Alexandros Papageorgiou, CEO, Energy Exchange Group

✔ George Kremlis, Ambassador to the European Public Law Organisation to Bulgaria

✔ Dimitrios Theocharis, Managing Director, MEL SA – Macedonian Paper Mills

12:10’

Speech

Tzitzikostas Apostolos, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, European Commission

12:25’

Fireside Chat

Η.Ε. Noam Katz, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel to the Hellenic Republic

12:40’

Lunch Break

13:15’

Fireside Chat

Christos Stylianides, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Hellenic Republic

13:30’

The innovation ecosystem perspectives

Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Hellenic Republic

Aristos Doxiadis, Partner Emeritus, Big Pi Ventures

Pericles Mitkas, President, Hellenic Authority for Higher Education

Panagiotis Ketikidis, President, Alexander Innovation Zone

Nikos Efthymiadis, Chairman, ThessINTEC

Stella Bezergianni, President, NOESIS; Researcher, CPERI/CERTH

✔ Vasilis Kafatos, Partner, Growth Leader, Competence Center President, Deloitte

14:15’

Greek defense sector: A renaissance in the making?

Yannis Maniatis, Member of the European Parliament; Minister and Deputy Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (2009-2015), Hellenic Republic

Pantelis Tzortzakis, CEO, Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation

✔ Tassos Rozolis, Chairman of the BoD, Hellenic Manufacturers of Defense and Security Material Association

Christian Hadjiminas, President, Hellenic Association of Entrepreneurs

15:00’

Economic Diplomacy in the Balkans

Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hellenic Republic

Rares Burlacu, President, Romanian Agency for Investments and Trade

✔ Denald George Tafani, President, Hellenic Business Association of Albania

Todor Tabakov, Deputy President, Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

✔ Mila Nenova, Executive Director, InvestBulgaria Agency

George Mylonas, President & CEO, ALUMIL SA

15:45’

Regional disparities and prospects for development and growth

✔ Akis Skertsos, Minister of State responsible for the coordination of Government Policies, Hellenic Republic

Nana Aidona, Governor, Region of Central Macedonia

✔ Christodoulos Topsidis, Governor, Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Haris Doukas, Mayor of Athens

✔ Stelios Angeloudis, Mayor of Thessaloniki

✔ Nikos Vettas, General Director, Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research – IOBE

Thanos Psathas, CEO, ETVA INDUSTRIAL AREAS S.A.

16:30’

Fireside chat

✔ Niki Kerameus, Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Hellenic Republic

16:45’

Financing investments

Stellina Siarapi, Secretary General of Private Investments, Minister of Development, Hellenic Republic

Ismini Papakirillou, CEO, Hellenic Development Bank

Yianos Kontopoulos, CEO, Athens Exchange Group

✔ Stephanos Theodorides, Chairman of the Board, Growthfund 

Giannis Papadopoulos, Senior Partner, EOS Capital Partners

Nikolas Takas, Managing Partner, THERMI VC; CEO, THERMI GROUP

Wednesday | February 19

19:00’

Official Dinner

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic

✔ confirmed speaker