Christos Staikouras

Progress in construction work for the Central Greece Motorway (E65), connecting Macedonia with southern Greece through western Thessaly and Fthiotida in Central Greece, is "excellent," Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras said on Monday, during an on-site inspection. 

It is very likely that the extension of Kymis Avenue in northern Athens, the extension of the Western Ring Road of Ymittos toward Elliniko, and other projects that were planned but have not yet started will be shelved by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Road and railroad connections were the focus of bilateral contacts between Infastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras and his Bulgarian officials during a visit to Sofia on Monday.

The Ministry of Infrastructure, and not the regions, will undertake the damage restoration projects in Thessaly and Evia, the two regions that were badly affected following the deadly Storms Daniel and Elias in September 2023.

A new memorandum of collaboration between the transport minister, the Hellenic Red Cross (HRC), and metro and tram manager STASY on Thursday, to upgrade first aid and emergency medical services to passengers at stations and on board.

Infrastructure & Transport Minister Christos Staikouras, HRC President Antonios Avgerinos, and STASY head Athanassios Kottaras signed the agreement.

The rail link between Athens and Thessaloniki has reopened after a three-month stoppage caused by Storm Daniel, with 131 boarding the first service from the capital on Saturday morning.

"The Greek railway is back on the tracks," said Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras, who was among the passengers as far as Larissa.

The government's priorities in boosting connectivity in transport and resilience in infrastructure were presented by Infrastructure & Transport Minister Christos Staikouras at the 25th Annual Capital Link Invest in Greece Forum in New York on Monday. 

The famous "cushion" of 37 billion euros will very soon start to "deflate" until it is reduced to around €12-13 billion, in about three years.

Greece's Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras will attend the EU Council of Ministers of Transport in Brussels on Monday. The agenda encompasses discussions on a comprehensive set of measures and proposals for regulations and directives related to the road and intermodal transport sectors. 

Greece and China signed a new bilateral aviation agreement in the context of the visit by Greek Transport and Infrastructure Minister Christos Staikouras to Beijing on Friday.

The new agreement, which is fully compatible with European Union legislation and the horizontal agreement between the EU and China, provides for the multiple appointment of air companies by each side.