Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Nikolina Angelkova held active bilateral meetings within the Informal Council of Transport Ministers of the EU in Milan, 16 and 17 September. The planning and management of the Trans-European Transport corridors as well as the financing policy and instruments have been discussed during the forum.

Within the framework of the meeting Minister Angelkova met with the Director General of DG Mobility and Transport Joao Machado and discussed the projects that Bulgaria is to apply with under Connecting Europe Facility. Mrs. Angelkova met with the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure of Germany Alexander Dobrindt. They discussed specific joint projects in the field of transport infrastructure of mutual interest. The Bulgarian Minister also held meetings with the Transport Ministers of Luxemburg, Spain and Macedonia.

Minister Angelkova held a meeting with Karla Peijs, European Coordinator for the Rhine-Danube corridor, and Mathew Grosh, European Coordinator for the Orient/East-Mediterranean Corridor, to discuss the speeding-up of the project for the improvement of navigation in the common Bulgarian-Romanian section of the River Danube.

During the Informal Meeting of the Transport Ministers, Minister Angelkova said that the Bulgarian party considers of prior importance the provision of successiveness of investment with a view to build and modernize the main tracks of the TEN-T network. “We need to plan measures considering the specific characteristics of the development of the transport system in various regions and member states. We shall give priority to projects that have significant value added and that are key to the improvement of connectivity on European scale and to the achievement of continuity and balance of infrastructure”, added Minister Nikolina Angelkova.

Minister Angelkova also noted that she highly appreciates the improvement of the coordination with the European Commission in the preparation of some of the most important infrastructure projects. That would encompass the quality of the feasibility studies, mutual impact of projects implemented by various states, as well as the opportunity for member states to negotiate in advance the list of projects financed under CEF. These preliminary guidelines will be of key importance to achieve the goals of the TEN-T network regulations.