Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Sofia, December 12, 2005

The Minister of transport of Bulgaria Peter Mutafchiev and the Minister of transport of Greece Michalis Ljapis signed a declaration for a development of the transport connections between the two countries.
The Minister of transport was in Thessaloniki at 8 and 9 December 2005 on an official visit.

The building of hi-speed railway network, which to connect the main towns and capitals of Southeast Europe as part of the process of cooperation in the region, will be the subject of an agreement between the two countries. This will be signed in January 2006.

The rapid building of the pan-European transport corridor IV and pan-European transport corridor X, as component of the pan European transport network is the viewpoint of the both sides. They express their collective plans and also the terms for:

- improvement of the railroad infrastructure along the corridor IV not later than the year 2011;

- building of the highway Thessaloniki- Sofia-Vidin-Lom until 2013;

- developing a railway connection to port Lom until 2013 in order to connect the ports Lom and Thessaloniki;

The two ministers express their satisfaction from the opening of the border control point Drama- Eksohi –Ilinden -Goze Delchev which will facilitate the transport connections between the two countries.

Minister Mutafchiev and Minister Ljapis express their intention to reduce the administrative and technical hindrances, which are hindering the international automobile and railway transport, and also the transportation of freights, in order to facilitate the border procedures.

Both sides will do their best for the liberalization of the regular bus lines between the two countries. The goal is to facilitate the mobility of the passengers between the two countries.

In the time of the official visit of the Bulgarian delegation was signed a contract between BDG LTD and the Greece railroads OSE for renting of Locomotives for the needs of the railroad transport in Republic of Greece.

For additional information:
Ms. Vera Deianova, Press Centre
Ministry of Transport and Communications
Tel: +359 2 940 95 34
e-mail: vdeianova@mtc.government.bg