"It is an extremely important initiative for Greece, for the city of Thessaloniki, given the central role that the Jewish community has played in the history of Thessaloniki," said US Ambassador to Greece Jeffrey Pyatt about the Holocaust Museum project, which is to be to be erected in Thessaloniki.
Mr. Payat met, on the afternoon of Thursday 9.7.20, at the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki, with the president of the Central Jewish Council of Greece and the Israeli Community of Thessaloniki, David Saltiel, and also with the president of the board of directors of the Holocaust Museum Foundation, former mayor Thessaloniki Yiannis Boutaris and was informed about the various issues related to the implementation of the project. The US consul general in Thessaloniki, Greg Flegger, was also present at the meeting.
In his statements to the Athenian/Macedonian News Agency, after the end of the meeting, the American ambassador underlined the importance of implementing the project, stated that he was happy that the Deputy Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos has taken a leading role in this project and expressed the certainty that there will be very strong collaboration between the Holocaust Museum in Washington and the Museum to be built in Thessaloniki.
Asked if he is optimistic about the start of implementation of the project in the near future, based on the discussions he had in Thessaloniki, Mr. Pyatt replied: “I am optimistic. Everyone wants to see this project move forward. I discussed it with the mayor Mr. Zerva and now (with Mr. Saltiel and Butari). I think that the fact that the vice-president, Mr. Pikramenos, has taken responsibility (for the implementation of the project) is a good sign of the government's commitment to it."
Mr. Pikrammenos' role in the project was also mentioned by the president of KISE and IKTH, Mr. Saltiel, saying characteristically: "The only positive thing is that at the moment there is an order from the prime minister to the vice-president Mr. Pikrammenos to run this project, which it means that some works have to be done [...] There is a desire from everyone, but I want to see works".
"Let's finish with the issue of the plot so that we can move on to the next steps," noted Mr. Saltiel and added that everyone's intention is positive, but he himself wants to see the works progress immediately.
The assessment that "we are on a very good path", expressed, for his part, the chairman of the Board of Directors. of the Thessaloniki Holocaust Museum Foundation, Mr. Boutaris, pointing out that after the matter of the plot is settled, the permits should be issued and then the tender for the contractor. "It's a big project, it's not that simple", he noted, while being asked to estimate when there will be any specific development, he said that - in his opinion - "by the end of 2021 we will have the contractor installed".
Regarding the meeting with the American ambassador, he said that among the issues discussed was the ambition "to make (the Museum) the center of Jewish Holocaust issues for the Balkans" but also the educational programs that should "enter in the making". In fact, with regard to the specific programs, he pointed out that there was communication with the Holocaust Museum in Washington, which implements such programs, which also aim to combat anti-Semitism, racist problems, etc. "These are programs that will last forever and do not only concern the schools and the teachers who teach them, but concern the whole society," said Mr. Boutaris.
Source: RES/MPE, 9.7.2020