Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades will introduce Cyprus as a “hub for humanitarian aid and transportation in the broader region” at the international conference on European transport on Thursday.

Vafeades highlighted the need for strengthening cooperation and infrastructure between the EU and neighbouring states, emphasising on the strategic role of Cyprus in the region.

The “A new era of European Transport – challenges of the TEN-T policy” conference, currently taking place in Poland, aims to serve as a platform for exchanging ideas on European transport policy focusing on the TEN-T network.

Finally, the minister will highlight the “importance of investments for enhancing the connectivity, resilience, and security of infrastructure, especially in light of modern geopolitical challenges and the need for economic support from the EU.”

The TEN-T policy, EU’s trans-European transport network policy, is a key instrument for the planning and development of infrastructure in the EU. The network comprises railways, waterways, sea shipping routes, roads, ports and airports.

On Tuesday, Vafeades had announced that Cyprus was developing intelligent transport systems (ITS) and investing in technology to improve the capacity of the road network.

“We expect to achieve better integration of all modes of transport and develop many applications that will help the shift towards multimodality and especially the use of sustainable means of transport,” he added.

Vafeades stated that as of now, Cyprus depended wholly on road transport and was striving to set up well-developed infrastructure for communications and transport, adding that ITS was among Cyprus’ EU obligations.

Currently, the main road network is covered by more than 160 sensors, a number that is expected to rise to 500 by mid-2026, through existing contracts with EU funding, Vafeades said.

He added that Cyprus is investing in modern control systems to optimise capacity, and that 75 junctions in Nicosia and 50 in Limassol will be controlled by a newly built system. Tenders have been received and the contract is expected to be signed soon.