The 51st Annual General Meeting of SEVE (Association of Exporters) members—the largest nationwide export promotion organization in Greece—was held yesterday in Thessaloniki.
The public session of the SEVE General Assembly was held with Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis serving as the keynote speaker. This was preceded by a closed session for association members, chaired by Georgios Konstantopoulos, honorary president of SEVE, during which the association’s activities for the period June 2025–May 2026 were presented. Thanasis Glavinas, a member of the Political Council and representative of the president of PASOK-Movement for Change, delivered a welcoming address.
He highlighted the city’s new development vision, the progress of major projects (6th Pier of the Port of Thessaloniki, Gonou Business Park, rail connections), and specific financing instruments. In particular, he focused on the 2.9 billion euros in business liquidity, which is the total amount that has been channeled from 2019 to the present exclusively to businesses in Thessaloniki through the NSRF, the Recovery Fund, and the Hellenic Development Bank. “
We do not want—nor do we deserve—a Thessaloniki that merely distributes others’ products, but rather a metropolis that will produce and export its own innovation. Our goal is to transform research from an academic expense into an export advantage,” emphasized Mr. Kalafatis.
During the public session, the representative of the mayor of Thessaloniki, Spyros Tzelepis, deputy mayor for Innovation, Start-up Entrepreneurship, Volunteerism, and Youth, stated in his welcoming remarks that SEVE finds fertile ground for action in a city that has now set the bar high, as befits its rich history. As he noted, Thessaloniki has all the prerequisites to become the most important export and transit hub in the wider region—a true metropolis of logistics and outward-looking development in Southeast Europe.
Maximizing the port’s potential through the expansion of Pier 6, the strengthening of road and rail connections to the markets of Southeast Europe, as well as investments in logistics and innovation, are shaping a new, dynamic development ecosystem that will benefit all of northern Greece.
The city’s shift toward projects and tangible results was emphasized by the Deputy Minister of the Interior (Macedonia–Thrace Sector), Kostas Gioulekas, noting that outward-looking engagement is a natural extension of Northern Greece’s entrepreneurial spirit. In this context, he referred to the Balkan outreach tour being carried out with the aim of strengthening cross-border cooperation and transforming the region into a development “engine” for Europe, noting that the results to date have exceeded all expectations.
In closing, he warmly thanked the president of SEVE, Simeon Diamantidis, for his long-standing support and contribution to this joint effort, emphasizing that new jobs and sustainable development will come from healthy entrepreneurship and not from outdated state-centered development models.
This was followed by a speech by the outgoing president of SEVE, Symeon Diamantidis, who referred to the completion of the term of the board of directors and his presidency for the period 2022–2026. In a brief review, he highlighted the celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary as a defining moment, which was marked by commemorative events such as the publication of a special volume, a major concert at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the anniversary general assembly, and the official dinner, attended by the Honorable Konstantinos Tasoulas, Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, U.S. Ambassador to Greece.
At the same time, Mr. Diamantidis highlighted the most significant initiatives of the past four years, mentioning the proposal to create a Freight Center at the former Gonou military camp, the creation and international promotion of the “MACEDONIA THE GREAT” collective brand, initiatives for the younger generation and vocational high school students, as well as the expansion of SEVE’s network of partnerships through memoranda of understanding with universities and institutional bodies. He made special mention of the association’s contribution to the creation of the first Endowed Chair in Asia Minor Studies in Greece.
In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis focused on the international performance and prospects of the Greek economy, noting that this change is also reflected in its outward orientation. “The 46% increase in goods exports from 2019 to the present is the result of the efforts of Greek businesses and their employees, who sought out new markets, invested in quality, and turned the crisis into an opportunity.
However, it is also the result of support from the government, which has restored confidence in the Greek economy, improved the business environment, and provided substantial support to exporting companies through specialized financing programs. “We are now moving forward with the implementation of the National Strategy for External Orientation and the five-year plan developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders, with the goal of increasing goods exports by 45% by 2030 to reach 70 billion,” he emphasized, highlighting the dynamic role of Northern Greece as a natural gateway to the Balkans.
The public session concluded with the presentation of two awards. The SEVE “Golden Alexander” annual award 2026 was presented to Panagiotis Tsinavos, Chairman and CEO of KRI KRI S.A. Dairy Industry, for his valuable contribution to strengthening the country’s outward orientation.
“I would like to dedicate this award to all those who believe that Greece can create, innovate, and take a leading role on the international stage. Because every export is not merely a business success. It is proof that our country can claim the place it deserves on the world stage,” he said. The company, headquartered in Serres and in business since 1954, recorded sales of 328 million euros in 2025, 60% of which came from exports, which have been growing at an average annual rate of 35% over the past five years.
In addition, SEVE’s honorary vice president, Gedeon Voulis, was named honorary president of SEVE in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the association over the past 24 years.
On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the new board of directors will convene to elect the new president and members of SEVE’s new executive committee.
The following were elected to the audit committee, which also serves a two-year term: Maria Anastasiadou, Christina Manosi, and Efstratios Tsachpinis.
The 51st General Assembly finds SEVE at a very high level as the largest, most dynamic, and continuously growing organization dedicated to international outreach, strengthened by new members. The new board of directors will continue the important work accomplished over the past two years, both in matters of outward-looking initiatives and international competitiveness, as well as in new areas, such as employment and linking the labor market with education.