The contract for the implementation of the project: “Building Facilities and Site Development for the Construction of Service Facilities for the Greek Border Crossing Section in the settlement of Laimos, Municipality of Prespes” was signed between the Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, Giorgos Amanatidis, and the representative of the contracting company.
The project, with a budget of €6,250,000, is included in the strategic BorPres2 Project, co-funded by the Interreg IPA Programme “Greece – North Macedonia” and concerns the construction of the necessary infrastructure for the smooth conduct of police and customs inspections of vehicles (up to 5 tons) and passengers, in the context of the reopening of the Border Crossing in the Prespa area, following a bilateral agreement between Greece and North Macedonia.
This represents a major milestone for the implementation of the BorPres2 Project and highlights its strategic importance in strengthening cross-border connectivity.
Specifically, the development of modern control building facilities is planned on both the entry and exit sides of the country, which include:
• Eight control positions (counters), four for the Police and four for Customs.
• A central two-storey building, where the ground floor will house the control services, while the upper floor will include support areas and temporary accommodation for staff.
• Two buildings with shared sanitary facilities, one at the entrance and one at the exit of the country.
• Configured areas for temporary vehicle parking.
The total implementation period of the project is set at twenty-four (24) months from the signing of the contract.
According to an announcement by the Region of Western Macedonia, Lead Beneficiary of BorPres2 Project, the benefits arising from the implementation of the Border Crossing project in Laimos are multiple and concern both the local community and the wider region.
In particular, the project;
• strengthens the role of Western Macedonia as an important cross-border hub
• contributes to the overall development momentum of the Region
• creates favourable prospects for attracting future investments
• is expected to increase the flow of visitors, boosting the local economy
• substantially enhances relations with North Macedonia by facilitating cooperation between the competent authorities and promoting the development of joint actions and initiatives.
The contract was signed in the presence of the Deputy Regional Governor of Florina, Athanasios Taskas, the Deputy Regional Governor for Civil Protection and Climate Crisis, Ioannis Kioses, the Mayor of Prespes, Giorgos Stergiou, and administrative officials.
Source: Region of Western Macedonia, Lead Beneficiary of BorPres2