Kontogiorgis: We will soon be seeing the first positive results of our policies in Kozani

The successful transition of Kozani, in western Macedonia, to the post-lignite era "demands coordinated actions that will utilize the region's comparative advantages and create new opportunities for the coming generations," said Deputy Minister to the prime minister Thanassis Kontogiorgis at a Kozani conference on the national strategy of local and regional development on Saturday.
Kontogiorgis, who coordinates the government task force on the Local Development Plan for Kozani, noted that "Kozani has historically been the central pillar of Greece's energy production, and is now at the center of the transformation of Greece's energy sector," with the country facing the strategic aim of a just transition.
The Kozani development plan, he said, totals 1.62 billion euros and includes infrastructure and funding policies with support to businesses. "In the coming months and with the cooperation of all sides, we shall see the first results of this," Kontogiorgis said.
The minister outlined the facilties including social ones that would be upgraded, the support provided to farmers in the region, and the irrigation works that will be built. A natural gas high-pressure line will be built toward western Macedonia, with a length of 157 km, and include a station for remote heating in Amynteo.
Among others, plans also include housing for students studying at university level in Kozani, and a technological park for startup technology companies within the university campus.
Improvements will also include upgrades of the Kozani and Ptolemaida hospitals (Mamatsio and Bodossakio, respectively), along with a new facility for comprehensive mental care for neurodivergent people in Kozani.
A day earlier, Kontogiorigis had announced at a Central Union of Chamber of Greece meeting that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce the national strategy for regional development, decentralization, and social cohesion at the end of 2025.
The ministers delegation included several ministers including Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou, Alternate National Economy Minister Nikos Papathanassis who made announcements about the Kozani prefecture, as well as local government officials.
Kozani is the second stop of the delegation in western Macedonia.