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Dear Colleagues and members of the ESTS family,
It is my honor and privilege as the chair of the local organizing committee to address a warm invitation to attend the 34th ESTS Annual meeting to be held in Athens in June 2026. Athens is a metropolis of more than four million residents where classical antiquity and modernity coexist with harmony, a fact that is evident everywhere you are going to look in the city. Two thousand five hundred years of history exist in the historical city center which is considered be the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, structured education, art and science and the land where western civilization has his roots. The influence of the Athens-born classical antiquity on the western civilization is evident all over the world, as the apothegms chased in the ancient marbles thousands of years ago still affect and navigate modern education and way of life. The ESTS meeting in the historical city of Athens is a great opportunity to deeply understand and consequently adopt without any doubt that innovation, modernity and classic knowledge still exist and perfectly combine in the science and art of Thoracic Surgery.

Thoracic surgeons proved to be open minded by adopting in the beginning of the century all new challenges, establishing modern Thoracic Surgery as one of the more prestigious medical specialties. Modern Thoracic Surgery “sails” in the future in close collaboration with Oncology and Thoracic Medicine. The novelties and progresses in Oncology and Thoracic Medicine and, in addition, the screening programs for the early detection of lung cancer generate further needs for thoracic surgical procedures. Technology is an assistant in the continuous development of our Specialty which multiplies the positive results and opens new ways for further surgical innovation. The ESTS meeting in Athens can be an inspiration for all thoracic surgeons to have a look in the future, identify and adopt, without any discrimination, the new trends, keeping however in mind that classic knowledge and classic techniques are incorporated in any innovation. Furthermore, Athens seems to be an ideal place to inspirate new ideas for academic research and academic collaboration

ESTS 2026 meeting attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the scientific sessions in a luxury venue, the Athens Concert Hall named “Megaron” which is located within the heart of the city. The historical center and the commercial center are found in walking distance from Megaron. The station of the Athens Metro “Megaron” is located just outside of the building and attendees can reach everywhere in the city center within few minutes using the Athens Metro.

"ESTS, Where Classics Meet Innovation"

Christophoros Foroulis
Chair of the Local Organizing Committee