17 – 18 June | Thessaloniki, Greece – The International Road Federation (IRF), represented by IRF President Dimitrios Mandalozis and IRF Senior Advisor Brendan Halleman, attended Transport Investment Summit.

Organised by the Transport Community, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) and hosted by the Hellenic Republic with the support of the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), the Summit serves as a key platform for advancing transport connectivity and infrastructure development across the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova.

As countries work to modernise infrastructure, strengthen economic resilience and deepen integration with European transport networks, discussions focused on accelerating project delivery, improving investment readiness and strengthening cooperation among governments, development banks and the private sector.

IRF President Dimitrios Mandalozis joined a panel titled “The Next Wave of Connectivity: Emerging Investment Opportunities Across the Regions”, which examined topics like where the next generation of transport and logistics investments is likely to emerge, how regions can strengthen their position within evolving European and global supply chains and what conditions are needed to attract long-term public and private capital.

The discussion reflects a broader shift in how transport infrastructure is viewed. Across Europe and its neighbouring regions, connectivity is increasingly recognised not only as a transport objective but also as a driver of economic competitiveness, supply-chain resilience, energy security and geopolitical stability.

During the session, President Mandalozis shared perspectives of infrastructure operators and investors, addressing what makes transport corridors commercially credible and attractive for long-term investment. He emphasised that transport planning must focus on the performance of entire corridors rather than individual projects. While infrastructure investments can deliver significant benefits, their value is diminished if critical bottlenecks such as border crossings remain unresolved.

President Mandalozis also highlighted the importance of maintaining infrastructure throughout its lifecycle. Long-term competitiveness depends not only on delivering new projects but also on ensuring that assets continue to perform efficiently over the decades that follow. Sustainable infrastructure management, operational reliability and consistent maintenance are therefore essential components of successful connectivity strategies.

A further focus of his intervention will be investor confidence.

“One of the strongest signals a region can send to international investors is predictability. Stable priorities, transparent rules and reliable institutions provide the certainty required for long-term investment decisions and help create an environment in which infrastructure projects can attract both public and private capital.” – President Mandalozis

President Mandalozis was joined by a distinguished panel of policymakers and industry leaders, including Christophe Galand, Head of Unit for the Western Balkans at DG ENEST; H.E. Christos Stavrou Dimas, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of the Hellenic Republic; H.E. Vladimir Bolea, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova; H.E. Aleksandra Sofronijević, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia; H.E. Edin Forto, Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine; Tatjana Shterjova Dushkovska, Operations Director for Development, Innovation and Knowledge at the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia; and Michalis Viridis of Milsped.