Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev will make an official visit in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia on December14 - 16, 2006 at the invitation of his Macedonian Colleague Mile Janakievski.

Within the framework of the visit Minister Mutafchiev will have meetings on a highest level. He will have talks with the President of Republic of Macedonia Branko Cervenkovski, the Premier-Minister Nikola Gruevski, as well as with the Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakievski.

The goal of the coming visit is to accelerate and deepen the cooperation with the Macedonian side in the field of transport and the transport infrastructure.

An extended analysis of the activity accomplished until now, regarding the connection of the railway systems of the both countries will be made during the visit, as well as the efforts for harmonizing of the technical parameters and phases of the projects on Corridor VIII. The priorities for creating of effective transport system, fully integrated in the Euro-Atlantic structures will be indicated.

Also discussed will be the following questions: the debt of the Macedonian railways to BDZ Ltd and the modes for its liquidation; the common initiatives for investments attraction for the projects on Corridor VIII, with special attention for the possible PPP; the methods for starting of stable mutually beneficial exploitation of a regular air line Skopje - Sofia etc.

The Bulgarian transport minister will discuss with the President of the Republic of Macedonia the possibilities for extension of the collaboration between the both countries in all fields of mutual interests and especially - the accelerated realization of the priority infrastructural projects for Bulgaria along Corridor VIII.    

During the visit on December 15, 2006 the both transport ministers will sign a Common Protocol, which will concretize all questions, which will be matter of discussion during the plenary sittings.

For additional information:
Kostadin Vardev, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport
Phone: 940 96 20
E-Mail: kvardev@mt.government.bg