Λάζαρος Μαλούτας: "Στόχος μας είναι να μετατρέψουμε την Κοζάνη σε μια «έξυπνη πόλη» με σύγχρονες υποδομές, αποτελεσματικές και φιλικές υπηρεσίες".
Συνέντευξη του δημάρχου Κοζάνης, στο ευρωπαϊκό portal themayor.eu .
Mayor Maloutas, first of all, congratulations on being re-elected as mayor! Please describe the beautiful Municipality of Kozani in a few sentences.
Thank you very much, the trust shown to me by my fellow citizens in electing me for the second time as a Mayor of Kozani was a great honor. I have had the opportunity to govern for about 15 months the Kapodistrian Municipality of Kozani between 2009 and 2010 and from January 2011 to be the first mayor of the new Kallikratician Municipality of Kozani.
The Municipality of Kozani is characterized by its worthy of mention energy features, as within its administrative district are currently installed 7 lignite power plants, hydroelectric plants and wind farms. At the same time, it is surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes while also boasting three artificial lakes at the southern part, as well as natural areas of particular geological interest.
The municipality of Kozani is a historical place, rich in archaeological sites, monuments and artifacts, many of them are located in Aiani, the Municipality’s cultural capital, within its exceptional archeological museum.
Kozani’s historic and remarkable Municipal Library, is of outmost importance as it highlights the contribution of our community to the Modern Greek Enlightenment period. Also, there is a number of museums, such as the Folklore Museum, which houses historical exhibits of modern times.
Our area has a rich primary sector which is based on the cultivation of potatoes but also on the ever-increasing production of aromatic-therapeutic cultivations such as yolk, lavender and tea.
Furthermore, Kozani is the seat of the University of Western Macedonia and its academic community and it hosts most of the educational and research activities of the institution.
The municipality’s geopolitical position is pivotal as it constitutes a “natural” hub in the Southwestern Balkans, as the Egnatia Highway crosses an area of 50 km with its two vertical motorway axes leading to Skopje and Albania.
It is important to mention some pioneering projects of the local government, such as the Kozani’s Zone of Active Urban Design, system of district heating, as well as the Waste Management Company at the regional level, which is a good practice case study for other regions in Greece.
Last but not least, of special importance is the geomorphology of our area, with tectonic and geological characteristics which are unique in Europe. Also, the settlements of our Municipality are installed in an altitude range between 300 and 1.000 meters over the sea level.
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