The mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas outlined his plans for the city, while addressing the ABNA-SE Conference on "The role of news information in the new Balkan reality", organised by the Athens-Macedonian News Agency at Helexpo in Thessaloniki. 
"Our aim is for Thessaloniki to become a success story that will show another way to the wider region. A city of the Balkans, of the Mediterranean, of Europe that manages to be the best example for all," Zervas said in his address on Monday.
The mayor expressed his certainty that Thessaloniki will become a hub city for the entire region of the Balkans and of SE Europe. "A key port, a crossroads of road and rail networks, a tourism destination, an education centre but also an economic pillar of a wider region with huge potential. Thessaloniki is growing, changing and improving," he said.
The mayor also said that the current period of major geopolitical developments, the climate crisis and the impact of intense urbanisation creates major challenges for modern cities, which are called upon to address phenomena such as the recent pandemic.