The establishment of a Special Secretariat for Mountain Regions in the Presidency of the Government, with Dimitris Kyriazi as special secretary, the Government announced on Wednesday.
As highlighted, this is the first time that a single, institutional pillar for the planning and implementation of policies concerning the upland area of Greece is created. In a country like Greece, with a strongly mountainous character, this new structure comes to fill a long-standing institutional gap, strengthening the cohesion and the perspective of mountain communities.
As specified, “the Secretariat’s mission is to formulate and implement a integrated national strategy for the country’s mountain areas, aiming at their sustainable development, in terms of economic resilience, social cohesion and improvement of the everyday life of their inhabitants. Through horizontal policy planning and the coordination of government actions, the Secretariat will ensure the creation of efficient synergies between stakeholders and the effective use of available resources and local capacities.
At the same time, the new structure will act as a node between central government, local government, academia, civil society and the market, aspiring to be a catalyst for the activation of a dynamic ecosystem that will highlight and exploit the specific characteristics of mountainousness, practically supporting the present and future of mountain communities.
“The establishment of the Special Secretariat for Mountain Areas is a strategic choice by the government for a balanced, resilient and equitable development across the country, making mountain areas a key pillar of the National Strategy for Local and Regional Development” is also noted.
Who is Dimitris Kyriazis
Dmitris Kyriazis was born in 1983 in Athens and comes from the mountainous region of Laconia. He graduated from the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and holds a Master of Communication and Media Studies (M.A.) from Fordham University in New York.
Master of Communication and Media Studies (M.A.). He started his career in banking in New York City, has worked in advertising and media, and for the past ten years has served in responsibility positions in multinational companies based in Athens.
His personal interest in the future of Greece’s mountainous areas has led him to develop a multifaceted activity, which has actively contributed to shaping a contemporary narrative on mountainousness. Through his public presence and writing, he has given visibility to people who have chosen to live and create in mountainous and remote areas, as well as to examples of mountain village revitalization, highlighting the importance of supporting mountain communities.
He served his military service in Evros as a non-commissioned officer of the Land Army. He is married and the father of two girls.
