European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas visited Washington this week for a series of high-level meetings with US officials and international organisations on the geopolitical importance of global transport connectivity.
During the visit, Tzitzikostas met with US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to discuss cooperation between the European Union and the United States in the transport sector. Their discussions also covered broader global issues, including the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and their impact on international transport routes and supply chains.
The Greek commissioner was also a keynote speaker at the World Bank's annual "Transforming Transportation 2026" conference in Washington, which brought together ministers, development banks, and industry representatives to explore how transport systems can promote job creation and economic growth worldwide.
In his address, Tzitzikostas warned that geopolitical instability is reshaping global trade routes and increasing pressure on transport networks. "The war in Ukraine has disrupted navigation in the Black Sea and triggered a historic reshaping of trade corridors," he said. At the same time, he cautioned that the situation in the Gulf could have severe consequences for the global economy. "Almost 20% of global oil production passes through the region," he said, adding that "any disruption directly affects energy prices, transport costs and supply chains across many continents."
He also stressed the strategic importance of resilient transport systems during "strategic competition, climate shocks and economic fragmentation", arguing that transport infrastructure has become a matter of economic security.
Tzitzikostas discussed the economic benefits of enhancing global connectivity, noting that a 10% increase in transport connectivity could raise trade volumes by up to 15%. Meanwhile, every 1 billion US dollars invested in transport infrastructure could create up to 20,000 jobs in sectors such as construction, logistics, and manufacturing.
The commissioner pointed to the European Union's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) as one of the world's most ambitious infrastructure projects. The network connects 424 major European cities, 329 ports and 38 large airports through tens of thousands of kilometres of road and rail infrastructure, representing more than 1.5 trillion euros in investment.
He also stressed the EU's efforts to expand transport corridors beyond its borders, including links to the Western Balkans, eastern neighbouring countries and wider international partners. Through the EU's Global Gateway initiative, the bloc aims to mobilise up to 300 billion euros in investments by 2027 to strengthen transport corridors connecting Europe with Central Asia and Africa.
During his visit, Tzitzikostas also met with leaders of the US Chamber of Commerce, the Atlantic Council, the US Coast Guard and the World Bank Group. He held discussions with representatives of the travel and tourism sector and met with the 27 EU ambassadors based in Washington, as well as members of the Greek diaspora. The commissioner also visited Joby Aviation, a US company developing "air taxis" - electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft - where he participated in a flight simulation showcasing emerging urban air mobility technologies.
