A new state-of-the-art international conference centre at the Athens Megaron concert hall in the cultural heart of the Greek capital was inaugurated at a sparkling ceremony on December 1, 2003. European Commission President Romano Prodi was among honoured VIP guests attending the inauguration of this new 700,000 square metre conference centre, which will be fully operational by the end of 2004.
Prodi joined Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis at the opening of the 1,750-seat, state-of-the-art Megaron conference centre, one of the largest and most modern in Europe. Once complete, the centre will encompass two large and five smaller conference auditoria, a banqueting hall, a library and exhibition areas, as well as restaurants, shops, cafes and underground parking for 750 cars.
The adjacent original Megaron Moussikis Athens Concert Hall , which opened in 1991, is regarded as one of the most comprehensive cultural centres in Europe. Its superb acoustics are acclaimed by both the public and renowned performers of the music and art world. Now, additional conference facilities have been added to the multi-cultural complex.
“The completed Megaron Moussikis comprises a pan-European achievement,” said Christos Lambrakis, president of the Megaron Moussikis Group, as he welcomed his guests and gave them a tour of the impressive new facilities. “For its conception and realization there was a cooperation between researchers, scientists and artists from many European countries, while its completion is owed to the priceless support and co-financing from the European Union , and the fruitful combination of state and private initiative,” Lambrakis noted.
For his part, premier Costas Simitis said that the Athens Megaron centre “shows that we can face the challenges of the new era”.
Prodi’s praise, Verhofstadt’s ‘Parthenon’
Prodi praised the majestic new Megaron International Conference Centre, during an event entitled The future of Europe and held in the grand Alexandra Trianti auditorium of the new conference centre.
“One can never come to Greece without being aware of its significance as the cradle of democracy,” Prodi said. “When we think about what has made us Europeans today, we sense the legacy of Greek culture and Greek civilization all around us. The principles of public participation, the underlying belief that the role of government is to follow the will of the people, are not theories to be confined to textbooks. They should be the watchwords for all of us in public life,” he said.
“But modern Greece, the Greece of today, is playing an equally important role in the history of European construction. In Europe, we see today a Greece that is at the core of new developments. A Greece that is not afraid to step forward and fight for its European ideas.”
“The Greek Presidency demonstrated the capacity of a small country to steer the Union through a crisis at a crucial moment of European integration. A moment during which we were preparing both the enlargement and our future Constitution .”
“The forthcoming Olympic Games in Athens will be the first international event of such an importance to take place in the Europe of 25. And I am sure that it will be a success and make all us Europeans feel proud.”
“The inauguration of this international conference centre today, next to one of the most impressive concert halls in Europe, demonstrates what Greece has achieved over the last few years as part of the Union and the euro. With the help of Community funding, Greece is changing and moving forward. This event today confirms that Greece is looking into its European future with optimism and ambition,” Prodi concluded.
For his part, Verhofstadt underscored: “The splendid Megaron Moussikis building is now complemented, so as to form some sort of ‘new Parthenon’: a perfect combination of theatre and agora, of debates and music. A combination typical of Greece, typical of Athens”.
