Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to complete major infrastructure projects on Kastellorizo within the next four years, during a government meeting held at the Megisti Town Hall. The Prime Minister also identified attracting more permanent residents to the remote border island as a key priority, as part of a broader strategy to support the local community.
During the meeting, the government unveiled its development plan for the Megisti island complex, comprising a total of 37 projects with a combined budget of €27 million.
The initiatives cover a wide range of areas, including infrastructure, water supply and sewage systems, energy, waste management, housing, and healthcare, alongside measures to strengthen the island’s human capital. “My commitment is clear: within the next four years, we must have resolved all the outstanding issues that have been plaguing this island for decades,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated following the meeting.
Port reconstruction, water supply, and sewage treatment take centre stage
Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed particular emphasis on the restoration of the island’s port, the definitive resolution of sewage treatment and water supply problems, and the need to secure quality housing for public servants who choose to be stationed on Kastellorizo.
Central to the plan is the reconstruction of the port’s quay walls — a project that has already secured funding and has been prioritised under the ESPA (EU structural funds) framework. Additional measures include the replacement of critical sections of the water supply network, the implementation of a comprehensive telemetry and monitoring system, as well as upgrades to the sewage network and treatment facilities.
In total, the 37 projects, budgeted at €27 million, span six key sectors: energy transition, sustainable resource management, environmental protection, entrepreneurship and innovation, digital transformation, and human capital development. The Prime Minister also highlighted projects with a strong environmental dimension — from zero-waste management schemes to the harnessing of renewable energy sources and photovoltaic systems to support the island’s electricity generation.
Housing for doctors, teachers, and civil servants
A dedicated portion of the meeting focused on the housing shortage faced by civil servants posted to Kastellorizo — an issue directly linked to the broader effort to improve services on the island. Currently under construction are 12 residential units commissioned by the Ministry of National Defence, some of which will be allocated to healthcare workers and educators. In addition, the Hellenic Coast Guard is proceeding with the construction of nine further residences for its own personnel.
The Ministry of National Defence is also carrying out the renovation of four existing residences, funded by the Hellenic Parliament. Prime Minister Mitsotakis noted that Parliament would undertake the restoration of additional spaces and dwellings, so that doctors choosing to serve on Kastellorizo will be able to live in “fully dignified and high-quality conditions” as early as next summer.
Furthermore, a 19-stremma (approximately 1.9-hectare) plot belonging to the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family is being transferred to the Municipality of Megisti. The site currently contains 30 old residences deemed uninhabitable. New housing units are planned for construction on the land, financed by the Ministry of the Interior, with project development to be managed through the Hellenic Corporation of Assets and Participations (SuperFund).
Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Kastellorizo: “We must attract more permanent residents”
The Prime Minister linked these interventions to the broader goal of demographic and economic revitalisation for Kastellorizo. “The government stands firmly beside the Megisti island complex, to ensure that this island will continue to thrive, continue to attract more permanent residents, and continue to grow,” he stated.
He placed particular emphasis on the prospects for the island’s youth, noting that the objective is to create the conditions for “the young people, the young Kastellorizians, to be able to live and build their futures here in their homeland.”
Drawing on a historic photograph of Kastellorizo from 1917, taken during the period of French administration, Mitsotakis recalled that the island once had a permanent population of more than 10,000 residents. “The goal here is very clear and very specific: how can we attract more permanent residents to Kastellorizo. You can be absolutely certain that we will use every tool at our disposal to achieve this objective,” he stressed.
Megisti Mayor Nikolaos Asvestis described the discussion as constructive, welcoming both the progress on ongoing projects and the pursuit of additional funding for the island.
Strengthening the multi-specialty medical clinic
Prior to the Town Hall meeting, the Prime Minister visited the Megisti Multi-Specialty Regional Medical Clinic, where he was briefed on the facility’s current capabilities and plans to expand healthcare services on the island.
Alongside the regular scheduled visits of a cardiologist and a paediatrician from the Rhodes Health Centre, the recruitment process is underway for a director of general/family medicine and a director of internal medicine/pathology, both supported by a grant from the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. A public call for two nursing positions is also expected to be published in the near future.
Attending the Town Hall meeting were Parliament Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis, South Aegean Regional Governor Giorgos Chatzimarkos, New Democracy MPs for the Dodecanese Emmanouel Konsolas and Vasilis-Nikolaos Ypsilantis, Hellenic National Defence General Staff Chief General Dimitris Houpis, and New Democracy Political Committee Secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis.
