The Greek city of Trikala mayor Dimitris Papastergiou talks to SBS Greek about the city's policies to attract young people and to repatriate Greeks that migrated to Western Europe and to Australia and about the cooperation with the FYROM's capital Skopje, Taiwan's capital Taipei and several international educational institutions to bring new technology and ideas to peoples' lives.
Τhe provincial town of Trikala and the land of the ancient Greek mythological god of Medical Asclepius opens up pioneering ways to improve the living standards of its inhabitants and attracts businesses and young people. For these initiatives, I had a great chat with the City of Trikala Mayor, Dimitris Papastergiou.
Young growers wanted
Although in the 2011 census, Trikala had a population increase, it’s one of the Greek cities suffering from the decline in their youth population. Mrs Papastergiou blames for that the public sector because it’s unreliable. ‘Young people migrate to western Europe and even to Australia for a better future,’ Mr Papastergiou says to SBS Greek.
The city is known as the birth land of Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine. ‘The local authorities have carefully created a program that aims to ‘exploit’ the Asclepius myth. It involves young people to grow aromatic and medicinal herbs and plants for medical purposes.
‘We went to Greek companies that have a stunning sales record and we ask them what kind of herbs and plants they need for their production. Also, we are in contact with Greek and American universities to find out what we herbs and plants can we grow. We have also begun working with the University of Thessaly to research and develop a line of products that will make the brand name of 'Asclepius’ a global trademark. We will deliver the first acres of land to the first growers for a small symbolic price’.
International collaborations
The city has been in contact with representatives from foreign countries, such as the United States and France, in order to discover new agricultural practices.
It was only recently announced that Trikala will work hand-to-hand with Skopje, the capital of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The cooperation is mainly in the technology and education.
Recently, a representative of the Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, was in Trikala. The delegation had a fruitful discussion about innovation and technology issues. ‘We are trying to bring new technology into the lives of our citizens and make their living a lot easier.’
Popular Christmas tourist destination
In 2011, the Municipality transformed ‘Matsopoulos Mill’, and old wheat factory in Trikala, into the biggest Christmas theme park in Greece. It was the first roller mill of Greece and the largest of the Balkan region and the first pasta factory of Greece. For 40 days and during the festive period of Christmas and New Year Day, the old mill becomes the ‘The Mill of the Elves. Last year, nearly one million people visited the Chrismas mill. It is the absolute Christmas destination in Greece
