Mayor of Rhodes Fotis Hatzidiakos received Ambassador of Austria to Greece Andrea Ikic-Bohm in his office reaffirming the close and warm relations between the two peoples.
The Ambassador was accompanied by Austria’s Consul in Rhodes Savvas Papageorgiou and the discussion focused mainly on enhancing cooperation in order to facilitate the holidays of Austrian pensioners who visit the island in spring and contribute to the municipality’s cultural calendar.
Austrian Embassy participation
Ms. Ikic-Bohm specifically asked to be briefed about actions in which the Austrian Embassy could participate, and DOPAR president Mr. Sergius Ajvazi who was present at the meeting, assumed the task of keeping her posted.
The turnout for Austrian pensioners “spring meetings” in Rhodes is expected to rise during next year and the Austrian Embassy was eager to enrich their entertainment.
The municipality’s agenda
The mayor expressed his profound pleasure at the ambassador’s first visit to the island and updated her on the municipality’s agenda, especially in regard to matters where Austrian public administration possesses advanced knowhow.
He spoke specifically about his interest in renewable energy sources and referred to the efforts undertaken by the municipality to improve waste management. “Our goal is to upgrade the image of the island,” emphasized the mayor adding that “Rhodes municipality owns the most of the public property of the island and will seek investors for real property in the context of tourism development.“
The Austrian ambassador declared her support to Rhodes’ effort for being nominated as “European Cultural Capital” in 2021 and recommended teamwork with Austrian cities that have previously won this title.
