The Minister of Justice, Mr. Giorgos Floridis, accompanied by Ms. Olympia Anastasopoulou, Special Secretary for Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Ministry of Justice, paid a two-day visit to Evros on 2 and 3 October, during which he participated in a series of events in Orestiada and Didymoteicho.
At the Holy Church of Saint Dionysios the Areopagite in Keramos, Orestiada, the Minister joined Metropolitan Damaskinos of Didymoteicho, Orestiada and Soufli in celebrating the Feast of Justice.
At an event held at the Byzantine Museum of Didymoteicho, the Mayor, Mr. Romylos Chatzigiannoglou, honored the Minister for his contribution to the preservation of the Regional Seat of the Orestiada Court of First Instance in Didymoteicho. Mr. Floridis referred to the significant changes taking place in the judicial field, including the new Judicial Map, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the forthcoming legislation on Alternative Dispute Resolution, while also announcing the initiative to establish an International Center for Mediation and Arbitration in Orestiada.
Following the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Church of Saints Theodore in Orestiada, during the anniversary event marking 40 years of operation of the Court of First Instance and the Orestiada Bar Association, the President of the Bar Association, Ms. Anna Memetzi, awarded the Minister an honorary distinction for his overall contribution and support, particularly for the vision of establishing Orestiada as the seat of a Cross-Balkan Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Within this context, Ms. Anastasopoulou announced the initiative of the Special Secretariat to launch a pilot program in Orestiada aimed at strengthening out-of-court dispute resolution through court-connected procedures, utilizing the existing legislative framework and the cooperation of judges, prosecutors, legal counsel, and ten accredited mediators.
The visit concluded with a stop at the Adrianople Educational Association, the country’s oldest association, in continuous operation since 1875, which merits our unwavering support.
The visit to Evros confirms the commitment of the Ministry to accelerating and improving the administration of justice throughout the country.
