Cooperation of the Ministries of Tourism and Immigration for the promotion of 5 Eastern Aegean islands

The Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, the Ministry of Tourism and the Municipalities of Mytilene, Eastern Samos, Leros, Kos and Chios Memorandum of Cooperation jointly signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.

The Minister of Tourism, Mr. Vassilis Kikilias, met today with the Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Mr. Notis Mitarakis, at the Kerani building, in the presence of the Secretary General of Immigration Policy, Mr. Patroklos Georgiadis, the Secretary General of the Hellenic Tourism Organization, Mr. Dimitris Fraggakis and the Special Secretary for Coordination of Stakeholders, Mr. Evangelos Konstantinos.

The subject of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, the Ministry of Tourism and the Municipalities of Mytilene, Eastern Samos, Leros, Kos and Chios – the representatives of which participated in a teleconference at the meeting, for the promotion of the Municipalities for the damage suffered by the tourist product and the image of the islands as a result of the migration crisis, but also of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Memorandum envisages the undertaking of actions for the restoration of the issues that arose from the immigration crisis and the pandemic, with the full support of the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT) and the above Municipalities.

Financing

The funding amounts to 2 million euros and can come from the Public Investment Program of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, the EU Asylum, Immigration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund (ISF), the External Borders Fund (EBF) and any other related, funding or co-financed program from national or Union resources.

Added to the above is the possibility provided by law for the payment by the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum of compensations – grants in areas that have been affected by the Immigration or due to the pandemic.