The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Mr. During the Council meeting, which was held by videoconference, the European Transport Ministers focused on the practical consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine on the transport sector.
The 27 Transport Ministers were particularly concerned about the serious consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the transport sector, taking into account the sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union.
In his intervention, Mr. Karousos stressed that the Cypriot people fully understand the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, having experienced for almost 48 years the tragic consequences of the 1974 Turkish invasion and the illegal occupation of 37% of the country's territory since then.
Cyprus, he said, had from the very first moment joined its partners in the European Union in condemning the invasion and offering assistance to the people of Ukraine. In particular, the Minister said, the Cyprus Ministry of Transport, in coordination with the relevant services, coordinates the process of arrivals or departures of Ukrainian nationals to or from Cyprus. The Cypriot Government, he noted, is also making appropriate arrangements for the housing of refugees, as well as access to employment for adults and appropriate education for children. In addition, the Transport Minister referred to the humanitarian aid sent by Cyprus to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with a total of 215 tonnes of material and a total value of more than €2 million, while the Postal Services Department of the Ministry of Transport accepts the free delivery of parcels to the people of Ukraine containing humanitarian aid.
As the Minister of Transport underlined, coordination of all EU states with clear guidelines and clarifications is needed at this moment to ensure uniform and effective implementation of sanctions.
The consequences of the Russian invasion are already being felt in the economies of our countries, Karousos pointed out, adding that countries such as Cyprus, whose economy is based on tourism, have already suffered serious losses in passengers, which will be difficult to recover from other markets. As a result of this, Karousos explained, "our economy has been significantly affected with a loss of 1.6 million passengers and about 25% of tourists. We estimate that this will have a direct negative impact on our economy of 3% of GDP."
Mr Karousos conveyed the view that measures should be taken at EU level to support the air transport sector and, by extension, the economies of member countries. He called on the European Commission to immediately consider further relaxations to the State Aid Rules to help the Transport and Tourism sectors, which have been severely affected by the pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine.
"For Cyprus, the aviation sector is of particular importance due to the island nature of our country and the initiative on the Declaration on Air Connectivity adopted by 12 EU member states, in which we propose the creation of a flexible comprehensive framework allowing for relaxations in state aids to strengthen air connectivity, is of particular importance now", the Transport Minister concluded.
(MCI)
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