Honorary citizen of the Municipality of Orestiada declared the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulouwhich attended the anniversary events for the 101 years since the founding of the city.

Upon her arrival in Orestiada, the President of the Republic was welcomed by the Minister of Migration Policy and Asylum, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, the mayor Diamantis Papadopoulos and the commander of the 4th Army Corps, lieutenant general Stavros Papastathopoulosand a member of the Armed Forces rendered honors.

Mrs. Sakellaropoulou attended the eulogy at the metropolitan church of Agioi Theodoros where the metropolitan of Didymoteicho, Orestiad and Soufli Damascene.

Then he went to his memorial Metropolitan Polykarpo Varvakisof the founder of Nea Orestiada, where he laid a wreath.

In her opposition to the ceremony of declaring her an honorary citizen, the President of the Republic referred to the residents of the uncritical Evros and emphasized: “At a time when the international horizon has been darkened by the growing tension in two warring regions in our wider neighborhood, we all understand that it is imperative the effective guarding and control of our borders, which are also the borders of the European Union, is necessary.

You are in this corner of our country the akrites whom we honor, trust and support. We will be close to you in every effort to strengthen infrastructure, security and productivity in your area.”

He referred to the fact that the construction of Nea Orestiada began in 1923, at a distance of only two kilometers from the river Evros to house the persecuted Greeks from Karagats in Edirne and “to become another example of the courage, faith and dynamism of the refugee element in the great epic of his integration in his new homeland”. As he said, “the uprooted residents of Karagats found the courage and mental reserves to turn defeat into life’s victory. Resourceful, inventive, hardworking, the first refugees, despite the miserable conditions and natural disasters, built the new city and transformed it after the war from a provincial town into a commercial and agricultural center of Thrace.”

Mrs. Sakellaropoulou also referred to the destruction that the forest of Dadia suffered a year ago and noted that in addition to the construction of anti-flood works, the maintenance and cleaning of the fire zones, the recent announcement of the Municipal Authority on the creation of the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, in Orestiada, so that children can be made aware of respect and protection of our natural wealth, sustainable agriculture and green energy, from their school years.

“Thrace has always been for me a place of memory and experience, a region of our country with which I am connected not only by my origin from my mother, but also an example of a life characterized by respect for nature and its creatures, toil, principles and values”, emphasized Ms. Sakellaropoulou.

According to the ancient legend, Orestes, in order to escape from the Erinyes, found refuge in the coastal area of ​​three rivers, the Evros, the Ardas and the Tonzos. At their junction he built a glorious city and gave it his name, Orestiada.

In his address the mayor Diamantis Papadopoulos he addressed Mrs. Sakellaropoulou, saying: “In your face the new Greek patriotism that responds positively to the challenges of a modern and rapidly changing world finds expression. Your speech exudes a liberal spirit that gives meaning to the course of Hellenism in the future.”

He pointed out that the first exit of Mrs. Sakellaropoulou outside of Athens, after assuming her duties, was on Easter 2020 at the military prison of Kastanion, in Evros.

“Orestiada, the youngest city in Greece, was born only in 1923 from the ashes of uprooting. Its first inhabitants were refugees from Adrianople and Eastern Thrace. They arrived here to build a new life without forgetting their ancestral homes. They breathed life into this place. Regeneration is the foundation of our collective identity. As the guardian of the borders of Greece, but also of Europe, Orestiada plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and security. Despite the difficulties and the demographic bleeding we are facing, we remain a vibrant community that strives to maintain good neighborly and cooperative relations with our neighbors,” said the mayor.