# Greek Minister Pierrakakis regional visits

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/greek-minister-pierrakakis-regional-visits
> Updated: 2026-10-27T10:22:06.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2.

Greek Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis conducted visits to the Xanthi and Drama regions of Eastern Macedonia to address economic, infrastructural, and cultural matters.

In Xanthi, discussions focused on industrial investments, specifically R&D and lithium-ion battery innovation at Sunlight Group’s manufacturing facilities. Regarding the tobacco industry, Pierrakakis announced that following negotiations with the European Commission, tobacco tax increases will be implemented more gradually, beginning in 2036 instead of 2028.

In Drama, the Minister addressed municipal financial needs, including rural road construction and city center redevelopment. He emphasized the importance of upgrading school infrastructure through the ‘Marietta Giannakou’ program, noting that structural building improvements must accompany modern equipment. Additionally, Pierrakakis highlighted the return of 48 ecclesiastical relics from Bulgaria to Greece via a bilateral agreement, an event occurring after 109 years.

## Claims

- Kyriakos Pierrakakis visited the Cooperative Union of Greek Tobacco Growers (SEKE) in Xanthi. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Tobacco product tax increases in Greece will now take effect in 2036 rather than 2028. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The tax increase timeline was negotiated as part of ECOFIN discussions. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Kyriakos Pierrakakis inspected the Sunlight Group factory in Xanthi. (single source)
- Sunlight Group has an annual production capacity of 9 GWh. (single source)
- 99% of Sunlight Group's production is exported to more than 115 countries. (single source)
- The Sunlight Group facility supports 1,200 jobs in the region. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-27: Minister Pierrakakis visits Drama to discuss school upgrades and funding

Greek Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis visited Drama to address municipal funding, rural road needs, and school infrastructure upgrades via the ‘Marietta Giannakou’ program.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minister-pierrakakis-visits-drama-to-discuss-school-upgrades-and-funding

### 2026-10-26: Kyriakos Pierrakakis visits Xanthi and Drama

Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis visited Xanthi and Drama, discussing tobacco tax delays until 2036, Sunlight Group's battery production, and the return of 48 religious relics from Bulgaria.

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/minister-pierrakakis-visits-industrial-facilities-in-xanthi

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Cite as: Greek Minister Pierrakakis regional visits. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/greek-minister-pierrakakis-regional-visits