ATHENS — European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas is expected in northern Greece on Friday, for a highly symbolic visit to the municipality of Paionia in Kilkis, two days before Europe Day, on May 9, and 40 years since Greece joined the European Union.

"The visit of the Vice President of the European Commission is an important opportunity for the understanding and utilisation of the important cultural capital of the Regional Unit of Kilkis and the Municipality of Paionia, to be the spearhead for the expansion of cultural routes in Central Macedonia, contributing to the development of the area," said Georgia Stratouli, head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kilkis, to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA).

The Ephorate's goal is to showcase the important monuments of ancient Evropos along the Axios river, within ancient Vottiaia, 800m south of the town of the same name and its surrounding area, and their incorporation into an extensive Hellenistic cultural route stretching from Thessaloniki and Pella to Europe, with stations at the burial mound of Messia (1 km south of ancient Europos), the archaeological site of Europos that includes the remains of the ancient city and important burial monuments of the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Christian times and the burial mounds in the community of Toumpa, eight km northeast of Europos, where the Kilkis Ephorate is already carrying out protection-restoration and promotion of two Hellenistic tombs with financing from the NSRF 2014-2020.