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Σύνταξη : Ανδρονίκη Κουτσαβλή

Οπτικοακουστικό υλικό: Αρετή Μαρία Κατσαρίδου  

Η ακτοπλοϊκή διασύνδεση του Βορείου Αιγαίου με τον Βόλο και η λειτουργία των ιαματικών του Σάρλιτζα αποτελούν στόχους του Περιφερειάρχη Κώστα Μουτζούρη για το καλοκαίρι του 2026.

2 εκ. πρόκειται να δώσουν οι Περιφέρειες Βορείου Αιγαίου και Θεσσαλίας προκειμένου να προκηρυχθεί, από το Υπουργείο Ναυτιλίας και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής [ΥΝΑΝΠ], διαγωνισμός για την ακτοπλοϊκή σύνδεση Βόλου με λιμάνια του Βορείου Αιγαίου. Μύρινα - Σίγρι – Μεστά Καρλόβασι για το χρονικό διάστημα από 15 Ιουνίου έως 15 Σεπτεμβρίου 2026 και δύο φορές την εβδομάδα θα περιλαμβάνονται στην πρόταση που θα συντάξει η Περιφερειακή Αρχή προς υποβολή στο Υπουργείο για να προχωρήσει ο διαγωνισμός.

Όπως διατυπώθηκε έχει εκδηλωθεί ενδιαφέρον στην πρόταση της σύνδεσης που είχε λειτουργήσει σε παρελθόντα χρόνο με την Μυτιλήνη. Ο διαγωνισμός θα απευθύνεται σε συμβατικό πλοίο που θα είναι σε θέση μεταφέρει τόσο επιβάτες όσο και φορτηγά. Μάλιστα σύμφωνα με τα όσα διατυπώθηκαν τα πλοία θα έχουν δυναμικότητα φιλοξενίας 1000 περίπου επιβατών και 30-40 φορτηγών.

Ως προς το χρονοδιάγραμμα της πρότασης ο κ. Μουτζούρης τόνισε πως ο στόχος πρέπει να επιτευχθεί πριν την έναρξη της τουριστικής περιόδου προκειμένου η γραμμή να είναι διαθέσιμη προς τους εν δυνάμει χρήστες πριν το «pic» της σεζόν.

Στο τραπέζι των διαπραγματεύσεων ο κ. Μουτζούρης «έριξε» την πρόταση για σύνδεση της γραμμής αυτής και με την Τουρκία προκειμένου να «βαρύνει» η πλάστιγγα των ενδιαφερομένων. Έξυπνη επιλογή όπως ειπώθηκε αποτελούν τα λιμάνι του Δικελί – Αλί Αγά και Σμύρνης. Σύμφωνα με τα όσα είπε ο καπετάνιος του Νήσος Σάμος και Αντιπεριφερειάρχης Ναυτιλίας και Νησιωτικής Διασύνδεσης Βορείου Αιγαίου, Γιώργος Αρβανίτης ήδη υπάρχουν εταιρίες της Τουρκίας που μεταφέρουν φορτηγά με προϊόντα στην ηπειρωτική χώρα ή την Ευρώπη.

Ως προς το σκέλος αρμοδιοτήτων του Υπουργείου, είχαν προηγηθεί επαφές με τον Υπουργό Βασίλη Κικίλια. Ο κ. Μουτζούρης υποστηρίζει ότι το ΥΝΑΝΠ θα προχωρήσει στο επόμενο βήμα δεδομένου ότι πηγή χρηματοδότησης είναι οι 2 Περιφέρειες.

Ο πρόεδρος του Συλλόγου Θεσσαλών Λέσβου «Ο Αχιλλέας», Μιχαήλ Αργυρίου υποστήριξε ότι υπάρχει έκδηλο μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον για την σύνδεση .

Ο κ. Μουτζούρης παραχώρησε την Πέμπτη 15 Ιανουαρίου 2026 συνέντευξη Τύπου με θέμα την ακτοπλοϊκή σύνδεση με τον Βόλο. Σε αυτή παραβρέθηκαν οι προαναφερθέντες ο Εκτελεστικός Γραμματέας της ΠΒΑ Άρης Ελευθερίου. Παράλληλα υπήρξε τηλεφωνική παρέμβαση του Περιφερειάρχη Θεσσαλίας Δημήτρη Κουρέτα και διαδικτυακή παρουσία αυτοδιοικητικών εκπροσώπων Βόλου και συγκεκριμένα της αντιπεριφερειάρχη Μαγνησίας και Σποράδων Άννας Μαρία Παπαδημητρίου και της αντιδημάρχου τουρισμού Βόλου Μένης Λαζάρου.

Το ενδιαφέρον Κουταλίδη & Ηλιόπουλου

Στις δηλώσεις του ο κ. Μουτζούρης έκανε ιστορική αναδρομή των όσων είχαν προηγηθεί, η συνάντηση με τον Περιφερειάρχη Θεσσαλίας, με τον Υπουργό Ναυτιλίας. Η δεύτερη είχε πραγματοποιηθεί όταν ήδη είχε προκηρυχτεί ο διαγωνισμός για τις άγονες με τον κ. Κικίλια να αφήνει ανοιχτό το ενδεχόμενο να μπει η γραμμή αυτή στον επόμενο διαγωνισμό, δηλαδή σε 3 με 4 χρόνια. Στο ενδεχόμενο αυτό ο κ. Μουτζούρης πρότεινε οι Περιφέρειες να χρηματοδοτήσουν την γραμμή και να προκηρυχθεί ο διαγωνισμός.

Ακολούθως άρχισαν οι διερευνήσεις με εταιρείες ακτοπλοϊκές που μπορούν να εξυπηρετήσουν. «Η πρώτη διερεύνηση που κάναμε ήτανε (..) Attica, η Attica αμέσως μας είπε ότι δεν ενδιαφέρεται η γραμμή (..) Πρώτος που εκδήλωσε ενδιαφέρον ήταν ο κύριος Ηλιόπουλος είναι ο ιδιοκτήτης της ΑΕΚ που έχει κάνει γραμμές με τη Λήμνο και διάφορα λιμάνια».

Σε επιστολή που έστειλε τον Ιανουάριο 2026 η εταιρεία SEA JETS του κ. Ηλιόπουλου σημειώνεται πως «εμάς μας ενδιαφέρει μόνο η Λέσβος και η Χίος για λόγους εμπορικούς» ενώ επισημαίνεται πως δεν υπάρχει ενδιαφέρον για Σίγρι και Μεστά.

«Πράγματι ήταν πολύ καλή σκέψη του κ. Μουτζούρη να τεθεί θέμα η γραμμή του Βόλου η οποία θα συνδέσει τα νησιά Βορείου Αιγαίου και για αυτό και κάναμε κάποιες επαφές . Έκανα και εγώ κάποιες επαφές με έναν άλλο πλοιοκτήτη, τον κ. Κουταλίδη (..)και εξέφρασε ενδιαφέρον για την γραμμή Μύρινα - Σίγρι - Μεστά και Καρλόβασι» είπε ο κ. Αρβανίτης και πρόσθεσε πως ο κ. Κουταλίδης ενδιαφέρεται για το δυτικό τμήμα των νησιών με την προϋπόθεση να υπάρχουν κάποια εχέγγυα από πλευράς μεταφορέων για minimum αριθμό φορτηγών κάθε μήνα από Βόλο προς Βόρειο Αιγαίο και το αντίθετο. .

Ο κ. Αρβανίτης επισήμανε ότι πρόκειται για μία καινούργια γραμμή για την οποία δεν υπάρχουν στατιστικά στοιχεία ως προς την βιωσιμότητά της και αυτό είναι που κάνει κάποιες εταιρείες να είναι διστακτικές. Ωστόσο συμπλήρωσε πως η επιτυχία της γραμμής αυτή μόνο θετικό αποτύπωμα θα έχει «Είναι μεγάλη δουλειά να συνδέονται τα νησιά με την Κεντρική Ελλάδα».

Τόνισε ότι για λόγους ασφαλείας απαιτείται ένα καράβι τουλάχιστον 140 μέτρων και επισήμανε ότι στην επιτυχία της γραμμής αυτής δεν θα συμβάλουν μόνο οι μεταφορικές αλλά και ο τουρισμός, ο οποίος όπως ειπώθηκε το καλοκαίρι μπορεί να είναι και θρησκευτικός, ενώ έκανε μνεία και στους Τούρκους τουρίστες.

Ειδικότερα ανέφερε «Εδώ έχουμε και τους Τούρκους απέναντι, οι οποίοι αν δούνε ότι έχουνε μία καλή επικοινωνία με την Κεντρική Ελλάδα και είναι πολύ σύντομος ο χρόνος «γλιτώνουν» πολλά λεφτά και στα αυτοκίνητά τους να πάνε Πειραιά και από Πειραιά πάμε στα Μετέωρα ας πούμε. Οπότε θα είναι καλό για όλους. Αυτή τη στιγμή το θέμα είναι ότι δεν μπορούμε να είμαστε σίγουροι για τον άλλο άνθρωπο που είπα το Κουταλίδη και παραμένει προς το παρόν ο κύριος Ηλιόπουλος».

Το ενδιαφέρον των Θεσσαλών

Το πάγιο αίτημα των Θεσσαλονίκη και όχι μόνο και οι κοινωνικές ομάδες όπως είναι καθηγητές/ φοιτητές/ αστυνομικοί/ στρατιωτικοί είναι να πηγαίνουν άνετα και σε σύντομο χρόνο προς την Θεσσαλία αλλά και οι δικοί τους άνθρωποι να μπορούν να τους επισκεφτούν χωρίς ιδιαίτερη ταλαιπωρία είπε ο κ. Αργυρίου και πρόσθεσε πως ο πληθυσμός των Θεσσαλών που μένουν στην Λέσβο ανέρχεται στις 2000 άτομα.

«Πιστεύω εγώ τουλάχιστον, ότι αυτή η γραμμή θα δουλέψει γιατί έχει κόσμο που θέλει να ‘ρθει στη Μυτιλήνη στη Λέσβο. Είμαστε ίδιος λαός «αιολείς» μας χωρίς μόνο θάλασσα. Οπότε ας γίνει αυτή η γέφυρα να προσεγγίσει η Θεσσαλία μαζί με τη Λέσβο την Περιφέρεια Βόρειου Αιγαίου έτσι ώστε να έρθουμε πιο κοντά και πολιτισμικά και θρησκευτικά και σε άλλους τομείς».

Ανάπτυξη εμπορίου ζωοτροφών

«Να σας πω ότι με ενέργειες του Δήμου Καλλονής παλαιότερα,μπήκε για πρώτη φορά η γραμμή από το Σίγρι προς την Αττική (..) Μπήκε με μεγάλες πιέσεις του Δήμου και λειτούργησε θαυμάσια.  Μέχρι που υπήρχε η ναυτιλιακή εταιρεία είχε λειτουργήσει θαυμάσια και ενώ ξεκίνησε -και οφείλω να το πω αυτό-  με τρία τέσσερα μεγάλα φορτηγά νταλίκες, διότι γινόταν ένας πόλεμος των εταιρειών εδώ και δεν ήθελαν να φύγουν στο Σίγρι. Τελικώς κατέληξε να μην φτάνουν τα πλοία τα μικρά, να παίρνουν τις νταλίκες (..) Έχουμε εμείς εδώ ένα τεράστιο ατού για να υλοποιηθεί η πρόταση και η σκέψη και η απόφαση του Περιφερειάρχη (..) Η Λέσβος όπως και η Λήμνος έχει τεράστιο ζωικό κεφάλαιο η Θεσσαλία από την  άλλη μεριά έχει τεράστιο όγκο παραγωγής ζωοτροφών. Αυτές οι ζωοτροφές θα μεταφέρονται ευκολότερα, φθηνότερα, γρηγορότερα και ασφαλέστερα  απευθείας από το Βόλο στη Λέσβο» είπε ο κ. Ελευθερίου εξηγώντας πως αυτό είναι ένα μεγάλο πλεονέκτημα και πρόσθεσε πως αυτό αποτελεί ένα βασικό στοιχείο που θα πρέπει να λάβει υπόψη της μία εταιρεία που θα συμμετάσχει στον διαγωνισμό.  

Δήλωση Κουρέτα

Υπήρξε τηλεφωνική παρέμβαση από τον κ. Κουρέττα ο οποίος δήλωσε: « Χαίρομαι πάρα πολύ που είμαι μαζί σας σε αυτή την προσπάθεια που έχει ξεκινήσει από τον συνάδελφο τον κ. Μουτζούρη και πιστεύω ότι αυτή η προσπάθεια είναι πάρα πολύ καλή και για το Βόρειο Αιγαίο και για την Θεσσαλία και την στηρίζουμε για να μπορέσει να πάρει σάρκα και οστά».

Next Step: Tender Announcement by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy

Region of the North Aegean Targets Ferry Connection with Volos

Text: Androniki Koutsavli

Audiovisual material: Areti Maria Katsaridou

The ferry connection of the North Aegean islands with Volos and the operation of the Sarlitza thermal baths are among the goals set by Regional Governor Kostas Moutzouris for the summer of 2026.

An amount of €2 million is expected to be allocated by the Regions of the North Aegean and Thessaly in order for the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy (MMAIP) to announce a tender for a ferry connection between Volos and ports of the North Aegean. The proposed route will include Myrina – Sigri – Mesta – Karlovasi, operating from June 15 to September 15, 2026, with two weekly sailings. These elements will be included in the proposal that the Regional Authority will submit to the Ministry so that the tender process can proceed.

As stated, there has already been expressed interest in the proposed connection, which had operated in the past with Mytilene. The tender will be addressed to a conventional vessel capable of transporting both passengers and trucks. According to what was stated, the ships are expected to have a capacity of approximately 1,000 passengers and 30–40 trucks.

Regarding the timetable of the proposal, Mr. Moutzouris stressed that the goal must be achieved before the start of the tourist season so that the route is available to potential users ahead of the peak of the season.

At the negotiating table, Mr. Moutzouris also put forward the proposal to connect this route with Turkey, in order to increase its attractiveness to interested parties. As mentioned, smart choices would be the ports of Dikili, Aliaga, and Smyrna (Izmir). According to statements by the captain of Nisos Samos and Vice Governor for Shipping and Island Connectivity of the North Aegean, Giorgos Arvanitis, there are already Turkish companies transporting trucks with products to mainland Greece or Europe.

As far as the Ministry’s responsibilities are concerned, contacts had already taken place with Minister Vassilis Kikilias. Mr. Moutzouris maintains that the MMAIP will move forward with the next step, given that the source of funding will be the two Regions.

The President of the Thessalians’ Association of Lesvos “Achilleas,” Michail Argyriou, stated that there is strong and evident interest in the connection.

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Mr. Moutzouris held a press conference on the ferry connection with Volos. Present were the aforementioned participants, as well as the Executive Secretary of the Region of the North Aegean, Aris Eleftheriou. In addition, there was a telephone intervention by the Regional Governor of Thessaly, Dimitris Kouretas, and online participation by local government representatives from Volos, specifically the Vice Governor of Magnesia and the Sporades, Anna Maria Papadimitriou, and the Deputy Mayor for Tourism of Volos, Meni Lazarou.  

Interest by Koutalidis & Iliopoulos

 In his statements, Mr. Moutzouris provided a historical overview of the developments so far, including meetings with the Regional Governor of Thessaly and the Minister of Shipping. The latter meeting took place after the tender for subsidized routes had already been announced, with Mr. Kikilias leaving open the possibility of including this route in the next tender, i.e., in three to four years’ time. In response to this possibility, Mr. Moutzouris proposed that the Regions themselves finance the route so that the tender could be announced.

Subsequently, exploratory contacts began with ferry companies capable of servicing the route.

“The first company we approached was Attica Group; Attica immediately told us that it was not interested in the route. The first to express interest was Mr. Iliopoulos, the owner of AEK, who has operated routes with Lemnos and various ports,” Mr. Moutzouris stated.

In a letter sent in January 2026, the company SEA JETS, owned by Mr. Iliopoulos, noted that “we are interested only in Lesvos and Chios for commercial reasons,” while pointing out that there is no interest in Sigri and Mesta.

“Indeed, it was a very good idea by Mr. Moutzouris to raise the issue of the Volos route, which will connect the islands of the North Aegean, and that is why we made some contacts. I also made some contacts with another shipowner, Mr. Koutalidis, who expressed interest in the route Myrina – Sigri – Mesta – Karlovasi,” said Mr. Arvanitis. He added that Mr. Koutalidis is interested in the western part of the islands, provided there are certain guarantees from transport companies regarding a minimum number of trucks per month from Volos to the North Aegean and vice versa.

Mr. Arvanitis emphasized that this is a new route for which there are no statistical data regarding its viability, which makes some companies hesitant. However, he added that the success of this route would have only positive effects: “It is a major achievement to connect the islands with Central Greece.”

He stressed that, for safety reasons, a vessel of at least 140 meters is required and pointed out that the success of this route will not be supported only by freight transport but also by tourism, which in the summer could also include religious tourism. He also made reference to Turkish tourists.  

Specifically, he stated:

“Here we also have the Turks just across the border, who, if they see that they have good connectivity with Central Greece and that travel time is very short, will save a lot of money compared to driving their cars to Piraeus and then going from Piraeus to Meteora, for example. So it will be good for everyone. At this moment, the issue is that we cannot be certain about the other person mentioned, Mr. Koutalidis, and for the time being Mr. Iliopoulos remains the interested party.”  

Interest from Thessalians  

Mr. Argyriou stated that the longstanding request of Thessalians, and not only them, as well as social groups such as professors, students, police officers, and military personnel, is to be able to travel comfortably and quickly to Thessaly, while also allowing their relatives to visit them without significant inconvenience. He added that the number of Thessalians living in Lesvos amounts to approximately 2,000 people.

 “I personally believe that this route will work, because there are people who want to come to Mytilene, to Lesvos. We are the same people, Aeolians, separated only by the sea. So let this bridge be created, bringing Thessaly closer to Lesvos and the Region of the North Aegean, so that we can come closer culturally, religiously, and in other sectors as well.”  

Development of the Animal Feed Trade

“Let me tell you that in the past, through actions taken by the Municipality of Kalloni, the route from Sigri to Attica was introduced for the first time. It was introduced under great pressure from the Municipality and it worked excellently. As long as the shipping company operated, it functioned very well, and although it started—with three or four large articulated trucks, because there was a ‘war’ among companies here and they did not want trucks to depart from Sigri—it eventually reached the point where the small ships were not sufficient to carry the trucks,” said Mr. Eleftheriou.  

He explained that there is a major asset for the implementation of the proposal and the decision of the Regional Governor:

“Lesvos, as well as Lemnos, has enormous livestock capital, while Thessaly, on the other hand, has a huge volume of animal feed production. These feeds will be transported more easily, more cheaply, faster, and more safely directly from Volos to Lesvos.”  

He added that this constitutes a major advantage and emphasized that it is a key factor that any company participating in the tender should take into account.  

Statement by Kouretas  

There was a telephone intervention by Mr. Kouretas, who stated:

“I am very happy to be with you in this effort initiated by my colleague Mr. Moutzouris, and I believe that this effort is very positive both for the North Aegean and for Thessaly, and we support it so that it can take shape and become a reality.”

 Bir Sonraki Adım: Denizcilik ve Ada Politikaları Bakanlığı Tarafından İhalenin Açılması

Kuzey Ege Bölgesi’nin Hedefi: Volos ile Deniz Bağlantısı

Metin: Androniki Koutsavli
Görsel-işitsel materyal: Areti Maria Katsaridou

Kuzey Ege’nin Volos ile deniz ulaşımı bağlantısının kurulması ve Sarlitza kaplıcalarının faaliyete geçirilmesi, Bölge Valisi Kostas Moutzouris’in 2026 yazı için belirlediği hedefler arasında yer alıyor.

Kuzey Ege Bölgesi ile Teselya Bölgesi tarafından toplam 2 milyon avro tahsis edilmesi öngörülüyor. Bu kaynakla, Denizcilik ve Ada Politikaları Bakanlığı (ΥΝΑΝΠ) tarafından Volos ile Kuzey Ege limanları arasında bir deniz ulaşımı hattı için ihale açılması hedefleniyor. Bölge Yönetimi tarafından hazırlanarak Bakanlığa sunulacak öneride, 15 Haziran – 15 Eylül 2026 tarihleri arasında, haftada iki sefer olmak üzere Myrina – Sigri – Mesta – Karlovasi limanlarını kapsayan bir güzergâh yer alacak.

Daha önce Mytilene ile geçmiş yıllarda işletilmiş olan bağlantıya benzer şekilde, bu öneri için halihazırda ilgi gösterildiği ifade edildi. İhale, hem yolcu hem de kamyon taşıma kapasitesine sahip konvansiyonel bir gemiye yönelik olacak. Yapılan açıklamalara göre gemilerin yaklaşık 1.000 yolcu ve 30–40 kamyon taşıma kapasitesine sahip olması öngörülüyor.

Önerinin zaman planlamasına ilişkin olarak Sayın Moutzouris, hedefin turizm sezonu başlamadan önce gerçekleştirilmesi gerektiğini vurguladı. Böylece hattın, sezonun “zirve” döneminden önce potansiyel kullanıcıların hizmetine sunulması amaçlanıyor.

Müzakere masasında Sayın Moutzouris, bu hattın Türkiye ile de bağlantılı hale getirilmesi önerisini gündeme getirdi. Bu sayede hattın cazibesinin artırılması hedefleniyor. Akıllı bir tercih olarak Dikili, Aliağa ve İzmir limanları dile getirildi. Nisos Samos gemisinin kaptanı ve Kuzey Ege Denizcilik ve Ada Bağlantıları’ndan sorumlu Bölge Başkan Yardımcısı Giorgos Arvanitis’in açıklamalarına göre, hâlihazırda Türkiye’den ana karaya veya Avrupa’ya ürün taşıyan kamyon taşımacılığı yapan Türk firmaları bulunuyor.

Bakanlığın yetki alanına giren konular kapsamında, Denizcilik Bakanı Vasilis Kikilias ile daha önce temaslar kurulmuştu. Sayın Moutzouris, finansman kaynağının iki Bölge olması nedeniyle Bakanlığın bir sonraki adıma geçeceğini savunuyor.

Lesvos Teselyalılar Derneği “Achilleas”ın Başkanı Michail Argyriou ise bağlantıya yönelik belirgin ve güçlü bir ilgi olduğunu ifade etti.

Sayın Moutzouris, 15 Ocak 2026 Perşembe günü Volos ile deniz bağlantısı konulu bir basın toplantısı düzenledi. Toplantıya daha önce adı geçen yetkililerin yanı sıra Kuzey Ege Bölgesi İcra Sekreteri Aris Eleftheriou da katıldı. Ayrıca Teselya Bölge Valisi Dimitris Kouretas telefonla toplantıya bağlandı. Volos’tan ise Magnesia ve Sporadlar Bölge Başkan Yardımcısı Anna Maria Papadimitriou ile Volos Turizmden Sorumlu Belediye Başkan Yardımcısı Meni Lazarou çevrim içi olarak katılım sağladı.

Koutalidis ve Iliopoulos’un İlgisi

Açıklamalarında Sayın Moutzouris, sürecin geçmişine dair bir değerlendirme yaparak Teselya Bölge Valisi ve Denizcilik Bakanı ile yapılan görüşmelere değindi. İkinci görüşme, sübvansiyonlu hatlara ilişkin ihalenin halihazırda açılmış olduğu bir dönemde gerçekleşmişti. Bakan Kikilias, bu hattın bir sonraki ihaleye, yani üç-dört yıl sonrasına dahil edilebileceği ihtimalini açık bırakmıştı. Bu olasılık üzerine Sayın Moutzouris, hattın Bölgeler tarafından finanse edilmesini ve ihalenin bu şekilde açılmasını önerdi.

Bunun ardından hattı işletme kapasitesine sahip denizcilik şirketleriyle temaslar başlatıldı.
“Yaptığımız ilk görüşme Attica Grubu’yla oldu. Attica bize hemen bu hatla ilgilenmediklerini söyledi. İlk ilgi gösteren kişi ise Lemnos ve çeşitli limanlara seferler düzenlemiş olan, AEK’in sahibi Sayın Iliopoulos oldu,” dedi Moutzouris.

Ocak 2026’da Sayın Iliopoulos’a ait SEA JETS şirketi tarafından gönderilen bir mektupta, “ticari nedenlerle yalnızca Lesvos ve Sakız (Chios) ile ilgileniyoruz” denilirken, Sigri ve Mesta’ya yönelik bir ilgi bulunmadığı vurgulandı.

Sayın Arvanitis ise şunları ifade etti:
“Sayın Moutzouris’in Volos hattını gündeme getirmesi gerçekten çok iyi bir fikirdi; bu hat Kuzey Ege adalarını birbirine bağlayacak. Bu nedenle bazı temaslar yaptık. Ben de başka bir armatör olan Sayın Koutalidis ile görüşmeler yaptım ve Myrina – Sigri – Mesta – Karlovasi hattına ilgi gösterdiğini ifade etti.”

Arvanitis, Sayın Koutalidis’in adaların batı kesimine ilgi duyduğunu, ancak bunun Volos’tan Kuzey Ege’ye ve ters yönde her ay asgari sayıda kamyon taşınmasına dair taşımacılardan bazı güvenceler verilmesi şartına bağlı olduğunu belirtti.

Arvanitis, bu hattın tamamen yeni bir hat olduğunu ve sürdürülebilirliğine dair istatistiksel veriler bulunmadığını, bunun da bazı şirketleri temkinli davranmaya ittiğini vurguladı. Ancak hattın başarılı olması durumunda bunun yalnızca olumlu sonuçlar doğuracağını belirterek şunları söyledi:
“Adaları Orta Yunanistan ile bağlamak çok büyük bir adımdır.”

Güvenlik nedenleriyle en az 140 metre uzunluğunda bir geminin gerekli olduğunu vurgulayan Arvanitis, hattın başarısına yalnızca taşımacılığın değil, turizmin de katkı sağlayacağını ifade etti. Yaz aylarında bunun dini turizmi de kapsayabileceğini ve Türk turistlere de atıfta bulundu.

Özellikle şu ifadeleri kullandı:
“Karşımızda Türkiye var. Eğer Orta Yunanistan ile iyi bir bağlantı olduğunu ve seyahat süresinin çok kısa olduğunu görürlerse, arabalarıyla Pire’ye gidip oradan Meteora’ya geçmek yerine çok daha az para harcarlar. Bu herkes için iyi olur. Şu anda mesele, bahsettiğim diğer kişi olan Sayın Koutalidis konusunda kesin bir şey söyleyemememizdir; şimdilik ilgili taraf Sayın Iliopoulos olarak kalmaktadır.”

Teselyalıların İlgisi

Sayın Argyriou, Teselyalıların uzun süredir devam eden talebinin — sadece onların değil, öğretmenler, öğrenciler, polisler ve askerler gibi sosyal grupların da — Teselya’ya rahat ve kısa sürede ulaşabilmek olduğunu söyledi. Aynı zamanda yakınlarının da kendilerini fazla zahmet çekmeden ziyaret edebilmesini istediklerini belirtti. Lesvos’ta yaşayan Teselyalıların sayısının yaklaşık 2.000 olduğunu ekledi.

“Kendi adıma, bu hattın işleyeceğine inanıyorum. Çünkü Mytilene’ye, Lesvos’a gelmek isteyen insanlar var. Biz aynı halkız; Aiolleriz, aramızda sadece deniz var. O halde bu köprü kurulsun, Teselya ile Lesvos ve Kuzey Ege Bölgesi birbirine yaklaşsın; kültürel, dini ve diğer alanlarda daha da yakınlaşalım,” dedi.

Hayvan Yemi Ticaretinin Geliştirilmesi

“Geçmişte Kalloni Belediyesi’nin girişimleriyle Sigri’den Attika’ya ilk kez bir hat açılmıştı. Belediye’nin büyük baskılarıyla açılan bu hat son derece başarılı bir şekilde işlemişti. Denizcilik şirketi faaliyette olduğu sürece hat çok iyi çalıştı. Başlangıçta üç-dört büyük tırla yola çıkılmıştı; çünkü burada şirketler arasında bir rekabet vardı ve Sigri’den çıkış istemiyorlardı. Ancak sonunda küçük gemiler tırları almaya yetmez hale geldi,” dedi Aris Eleftheriou.

Eleftheriou, Bölge Valisi’nin önerisinin ve kararının hayata geçirilmesi için büyük bir avantaj bulunduğunu belirterek şunları söyledi:
“Lesvos ve Lemnos çok büyük bir hayvancılık varlığına sahip. Teselya ise çok büyük bir hayvan yemi üretim hacmine sahip. Bu yemler Volos’tan Lesvos’a doğrudan, daha kolay, daha ucuz, daha hızlı ve daha güvenli bir şekilde taşınacaktır.”

Bunun büyük bir avantaj olduğunu vurgulayan Eleftheriou, bu unsurun ihaleye katılacak şirketler tarafından mutlaka dikkate alınması gereken temel bir faktör olduğunu ekledi.

Kouretas’ın Açıklaması

Teselya Bölge Valisi Sayın Kouretas telefonla bağlanarak şu açıklamayı yaptı:
“Meslektaşım Sayın Moutzouris’in başlattığı bu çabada sizinle birlikte olmaktan büyük mutluluk duyuyorum. Bu girişimin hem Kuzey Ege hem de Teselya için çok olumlu olduğuna inanıyorum ve hayata geçmesi için tam destek veriyoruz.”