KOZANI, Greece – The great challenge for Western Macedonia is its conversion into an economy of the future with the creation of new jobs, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday in a meeting with Kozani business people.

“We are here to discuss the plans for a just green transition for Western Macedonia. However, a just transition cannot be turned into action unless it is combined with the healthy business interest of companies that are already active in the surrounding area and which we want to encourage to expand their business activities even further,” Mitsotakis said.

It was important, he added, to not only attract new businesses to the region but to support those that were already there, and especially to replace the jobs that were lost as the use of lignite was phased out.

He said the aim was to transform Western Macedonia from an almost single-sector economy in the last 50 years to an economy of the future based on the area’s comparative advantages.

“What I am interested in hearing are your own plans and what you expect and want from us, so that we can help you bring them about,” he added.