In Paralimni, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Giannis Boutaris

A delegation of the local authorities of Macedonia will be present in Paralimni today, led by the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Giannis Boutaris, and the Mayor of Kozani, Lefteris Ioannidis, who will have a meeting with the mayors of the free province of Famagusta.

The purpose of the meeting is to examine the possibility of cooperation in the context of the participation of the free province of Famagusta in the European Territorial Cooperation Group Elika in the context of cross-border cooperation in the Balkans and the Mediterranean.

The European Land Cooperation Group ELIKAS

The European Land Cooperation Group ELIKAS was established within the framework of the quadruple helix, as the field of cooperation between the bodies of public administration and local self-government (state), the bodies of collective representation of business, ie chambers of commerce and technology (market), universities institutions (knowledge) and civil society organizations (society).

The 11 thematic objectives of the Strategy "Europe 2020: Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Exclusive Development" are the statutory objectives of the European Territorial Cooperation Group ELIKAS. The establishment of ELIKA is an initiative of cooperating bodies of Northern Greece.

The Board

The European Territorial Cooperation Group ELIKAS was formed within the framework of the quadruple helix, as the field of cooperation between public and local self-government bodies, chambers, universities and social groups, while the Board of Directors of Elikas Group met. Last June, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Giannis Boutaris, presided over the Aristotle University.

Specifically, the Board of Directors of the European Land Cooperation Group ELIKAS was elected during the first statutory General Meeting held on 29/6/2017, in the Chamber of the Senate of AUTh, with the active support of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and after Mayor of Thessaloniki Giannis Boutaris.

At the General Assembly, which took into account the need for full representation of all the constituent parts of the quadruple helix, the following were elected by broad consensus:

Giannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki
Kyrizoglou Lazaros, Mayor of Ampelokipi Menemenis President of PED Central Macedonia
Statty Stattev, Rector of Sofia University of World and National Economics
Tonikidis Pavlos, President of the Chamber of Kilkis Vice President of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece
Daniilidis Simos, Mayor of Neapolis Sykeon
Ioannidis Lefteris, Mayor of Kozani
Domokhichtsidis Fotis, Mayor of Sintiki
Zarotiadis Grigoris, Associate Professor of AUTh
Belidis Thanasis, Professor of Alexandria TEI of Thessaloniki
David Konstantinos, Professor at the TEI of Central Macedonia
Andreadis Vassilios, Deputy Mayor of Kordelio Evosmos
Pantelidou Ioanna, Head of Planning Department of Thermi Municipality
Topaloglou Lefteris, Director of PED of Western Macedonia

The General Assembly, following relevant proposals, elected members of the Board of Directors, as representatives of their Civil Society:

Vardakastani Giannis, President of the National Confederation of Persons with Disabilities
Stanka Vasileva Tonkova, President of the Bulgarian Regional Science Association

The General Assembly elected the Audit Committee, which consists of:

Tsouknida Ioannis, Mayor of Chalkidona
Varsakeli Nikolaos, Vice Rector of AUTh
Georgiadis Anthimos, Deputy Mayor of Sintiki

After the completion of the work of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors met in a meeting during which it unanimously elected:

Giannis Boutaris, Mayor of Thessaloniki as Chairman of the Board of Directors
Statty Stattev, Rector of Sofia University of World and National Economics as Vice President
Pavlos Tonikidis, President of the Kilkis Chamber as Vice President
Zarotiadis Grigoris, Associate Professor of AUTh as Secretary
Topaloglou Lefteri, Director of PED of Western Macedonia as Treasurer

The group's action was finalized at a meeting in Sofia in July.

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