Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday attended an event on "National Strategy for Regional and Local Development: We discuss, decide, move ahead together for Rethymno" held at the House of Culture in the city of Rethymno, Crete.
Mitsotakis was accompanied by Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Rural Development and Food Minister Kostas Tsiaras, Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis, Deputy National Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis, Deputy Minister to the prime minister Thanasis Kontogeorgis and ministry general secretaries.
The entire regional and local government leadership, local chambers and agencies, representatives of businesses, the hotel sector and all levels of the educational community, as well as employees, were given the opportunity to present requests, voice concerns and put forward development proposals.
Crete governor Stavros Arnaoutakis welcomed the Prime Minister at the House of Culture and raised an issue regarding the construction of Crete northern road axis and Kastelli airport, as well as asking for the construction of anti-flooding works and a tunnel that are necessary for this huge project.
On Thursday morning, Mitsotakis met with the president of the Rethymno Chamber of Commerce Giorgos Giakoumakis, the president of the Rethymno Prefecture Hoteliers' Association Emmanouil Tsakalakis and other members of the Association, with whom he discussed the course of tourism and the opportunities that are emerging in the region thanks to the growth dynamics of the economy.
As Giakoumakis told Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the meeting had very positive messages and conclusions and there was optimism for the future of the local economy. 
Earlier, Mitsotakis visited the fishing refuge being constructed in Skaleta, Rethymno, with a capacity of 70 seats and a budget of 4.4 million euros, which aims to meet the needs of fishermen in the area. "Let me remind you - and it is worth saying this - that we made two revisions in the 2024 budget from the overperformance of revenues and the fight against tax evasion, to support public investment. And a part of them was directed to the budgets of the Regions. The economy is overperforming, we are satisfied and this money goes back to projects and actions with social impact," the premier said, talking with Arnaoutakis about the major projects supported by national funds.