THESSALONIKI — President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Thursday inaugurated the 17th International Book Exhibition of Thessaloniki, this year held in digital form, expressing her certainty that the crucial wager of this year's exhibition will be won and also expressing her faith that the International Book Exhibition will continue to be a fruitful arena for experiences, quests and dialogue in the coming years.

As Sakellaropoulou said, this year the unprecedented conjucture of the pandemic has changed the form of the international exhibition but she underlined that this will not affect its drive and the vitality "as Its rich online programme, based on the vision and the hard work of the people that worked for it, promises."

In parallel, she underlined that a society that does not read , a society that has relegated books to the margins of its social and personal life, is a society condemned to spiritual barbarism and lack of freedom.

However, she pointed out that books have proved to be very resilient, adding: "The readers did not abandon them, in spite of the crisis and the economic restrictions and the phychological withering provoked by the pandemic, insecurity and fear".

She expressed hoped that the restrictions will soon be lifted and bookshops will reopen.