Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Developing the Trans-European Transport Corridor VIII remains a top priority for Bulgaria and Macedonia. This became clear during the meeting of Deputy Minister, Kamen Kichev with his macedonian colleague Tehir Hani, which was held yesterday in Skopje.

Corridor VIII provides one of the fastest direct links from the southern Mediterranean and the Balkans to the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Far East. Deputy Minister Kichev acquainted with the Macedonian side, rail and road projects to be implemented on Bulgarian territory and expressed confidence that the southwestern neighbor will accelerate strategic corridor projects.

Currently are running multiple projects on Bulgarian territory. Among them are the "Trakia" and "Lyulin" highways, sections from railway line Sofia-Plovdiv-Stara Zagora-Bourgas,  Karnobat - Sindel and modernization of ports in Varna and Burgas.

"The project for railway line Sofia-Skopje is very important, for connecting the two neighboring countries and the overall construction of the corridor’s railway track ", Kichev said. According to his words on Bulgarian territory remains to be  build only 2.5 km stretch to the Gyueshevo border. "We are ready to build it immediately, if the Republic of Macedonia start building their part," said Milcho Lambrev, General Director of National Company "Railway Infrastructure". We are optimistic that within five years the area will be built, said the Macedonian side.

Executive Director of the State enterprise "Air Traffic Services Authority", Dian Dinev presented to his Macedonian counterpart, Bulgarian - Romanian project DUNABE FAB, which is funded by the program of the European Union "SES", and invited Macedonia to join FB.

On a working meeting, between the two ministries, a number of issues were discussed, including debt of the Macedonian Railways to National Company "Railway Infrastructure". which amounts to over 3.5 million and the participation of Bulgarian companies in infrastructure projects of the Republic of Macedonia.