The honorary ceremony took place in an atmosphere of joy and emotion in the courtyard of the celebrant Agios Ioannis "Kambiti" church, immediately after Service, in the presence of representatives of the Church, institutional Authorities-bearers and citizens who warmly applauded the decision of the Mayor, the Municipal Council and the honored Rector, long-time friend and now fellow resident of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality.
The sincere interest of Angelos Kotios, his love for the place of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality, his unselfish, practical assistance and contribution from the position of Professor and Rector to the issues of local development, economy, agriculture-livestock, environment, culture and tourism , contributed to the decision of Mayor Yiannis Stefanakis and the Municipal Council to honor him in this way.
However, apart from the local contribution of Angelos Kotios, his interest, as mentioned, is Pankritio, as he and our fellow resident Manolis Koutoulakis, current Secretary General for Insular Policy and Aegean, compiled 3 years ago the current study of the "transportation equivalent of Crete" ” and they worked closely with the Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnautakis, his associates, as well as the Chambers of the Island.
The presentation of the honorary plaque-declaration of Mr. Kotios as an honorary citizen took place under the prolonged applause of the present citizens and representatives of institutions, by the Mayor Yiannis Stefanakis, who characterized the moment as special and very important, just as the person being honored is special and very important as a man and a scientist.
The proclamation decision no. 71 / 2020 was read out by the President of the Municipal Council Giorgos Pleurakis, asking Mr. Kotios to accept it. The Rector, exclaiming with emotion "my dear fellow citizens", addressed the people and happily accepted his proclamation, referring to the respect he has for the place of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality, and the particularly friendly and welcoming character of the area.
He warmly thanked the Mayor and the Municipal Council for their decision, as well as all the participants in the proclamation ceremony, stressing that now as fellow citizens we join forces for the common struggle to get Orepedio Lasithi Municipality the place it deserves and is entitled to.
The Rector, who was guided both to the Cave of the Birth of Zeus, in Dikteo Andros, and to the archaeological excavations carried out by the Municipality in the Area, referred to the important cultural heritage of the area as the main cult center of the Minoan civilization and the continuous national liberation revolutions, since one of the greatest benefactors of the Education of the Country and political Leader of the great Cretan revolution of 1866, Antonios F Papadakis comes from the area, which he endowed with the building of the first Polytechnic of Crete, the facilities of which he visited.
Congratulations to the Mayor and the honored Rector at the site of the ceremony, was given by the present Chancellor of the Holy Metropolis of Petra and Herronissos, Archimandrite Titos Tabakakis, noting the satisfaction and contentment of the local church every time the Orepedio Lasithi Municipality has the support and recognition that it deserves and is supported by actions and practices of distinguished people, such as the Rector of the University of Piraeus.

The rationale and reasons for the Rector's proclamation as an honorary citizen ——————————————————————————————————
This decision was taken following a proposal by the Mayor of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality, Yiannis Stefanakis, after Professor Angelos Kotios, distinguished Rector of the University of Piraeus, organized special seminars and study courses related to the area of Lasithi, "having our place and its inhabitants, as an example of good practice circular economy and cooperation of the human factor with nature. He included the case of the region in every Academic activity and teaching, undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level, as well as in numerous University conferences (Blue Economy etc) but also in special cases (e.g. metaphorical equivalent)", as emphasized by Mayor of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality.
At the same time, as Yiannis Stefanakis said, "he unselfishly undertook studies regarding the development of our country and is always a helper and ally in any economic or other kind of claim of our region, including his personal interventions even at top levels".
It is characteristic that he himself, feeling the need to contribute in every way to the claims of the Lasithians, did not hesitate to participate actively through the lines of the mobilizations of the farmers of Lasithion.
Furthermore, in the context of the cooperation of Orepedio Lasithi Municipality with the University of Piraeus, Professor Angelos Kotios, in collaboration with our fellow resident Manolis Koutoulakis, was inspired and implemented the planning of the Integrated Spatial Investment (ISP) for the Municipality of Oropedio Lasithi, where in collaboration with the Municipal Authority, he himself held a series of General Assemblies in the communities, as well as on-site consultations - interviews with the local bodies.
At the same time, he drew up a complete economic plan for the development of the area, taking into account all previous planning proposals, applying the democratic interview model from the grassroots himself, incorporating long-standing requests of the citizens of Lasithi into a University-based, sustainable and applicable management study, both in the agricultural sector and combined with ecology and culture (windmills), including the connection with the tourism economy, such as the caves of Dikteo Andros, Kronio and other areas of interest. He supported at all levels the effort of the Municipality for the inclusion of the windmills in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage while he drew up the documentation himself and expressed the necessity for the concession of the "Xenia" building to the Municipality, by Tourist Properties SA.
Also, as Rector, in cooperation with the Municipality and other bodies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he highlighted the enormous educational contribution of the Great National benefactor of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Antonio F. Papadakis. In honor of the great National Benefactor, he co-organized in 2019, in collaboration with the Municipal Authority, the official dinner of the work of the Rectors' Conference with great success in Tzermiadon and Agios Georgios, with the participation of the entire Academic-Spiritual Leadership of Greece and Cyprus, in order for them to get aquainted with Lasithi and connect with the region.
Furthermore, he assisted the region from the time of his Deanship at the University of Piraeus with his participation in the organization of extra-local events, such as the naming of Europe Square by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece and professor of the University of Piraeus, Nikos Kotzias. He actively participated by assisting the visit of also Professor, President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, accompanying previous Deans, such as Dean Professor Giorgos Oikonomou, but also Professors and Chairs of University Departments, such as Professor Athanasios Kouremenos, President of the Graduate Department of Tourism, etc.
At the same time, he highlighted local integrated development interventions such as the case of winter tourism, the regeneration of the "Charaki" area in Agios Georgios, Argoulia in Tzermiadons, while he supported as a co-organizer and actively participated in the first conference on the perspective of the construction of the traditional Lassithian type energy windmill and hosted in the ceremony halls of the University of Piraeus, corresponding events where the Oropedio Lasithi Municipality and its prospects were shown.

Photo 1. The Rector of the University of Piraeus Professor Angelos Kotios and the Mayor of Oropedio Lasithi Municipality, Yiannis Stefanakis
Photo 2. The former Rector of the University of Piraeus, Professor Giorgos Oikonomou, and the Mayor of Oropedio Lasithi Municipality, Yiannis Stefanakis
Photo 3. The Mayor of Oropedio Lasithi Municipality Yiannis Stefanakis, the Rector of the University of Piraeus Professor Angelos Kotios, the Archdiocese of the Holy Metropolis of Petra and Herronissos, Archimandrite Titos Tabakakis and the former Rector of the University of Piraeus Professor George Economou