Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Nikolina Angelkova met Alois Stöger, Federal Minister of Transport, Innovations and Technology of the Republic of Austria.

Minister Nikolina Angelkova presented the infrastructure sites, which are to be financed by 2020. “A major priority is the inclusion of Hemus highway in the scope of Operational Program “Transport and Transport Infrastructure” 2014 – 2020. This is an important project for our country that could ensure the development of the North of Bulgaria”, said the Bulgarian Transport Minister. She pointed out that there have been ongoing works on the construction of two large tunnel facilities – under Shipka Peak and the Kresna Gorge, part of Lot 3 of Struma Highway. “We are planning the construction of a tunnel at the total length of over 15 km. Thus, we are drafting an alternative option, and we are about to decide which of the two projects is expedient”, added Minister Angelkova. It emerged from the meeting that in the railway sector, efforts will be engaged in the modernization of the whole of the line from the Serbian to the Turkish/Greek border and the continuation to Burgas.

Among the other priority projects, the participants in the meeting also discussed the work on the two new bridges over the River Danube – at Nikopol – Turnu Magurele and Silistra – Calarasi. “The Bulgarian and the Romanian parties took the commitment for the realization of the project, and the MoU signed a few days ago only comes to support that”, added Nikolina Angelkova. Next week the joint expert group will start working on the specific steps and deadlines for the preparation of the projects. Provided there is financing and no unforeseen circumstances, construction works can begin in 2017.

“We have prepared amendments to the e-Governance Act that foresee the deployment of a single electronic administrator”, said Minister Angelkova. In her view the two countries can cooperate in the field of e-government. Minister Stöger said that the exchange of practices in the field can be initiated in short time. He congratulated Minister Angelkova on all the projects that are being implemented in Bulgaria and the ambitious program until 2020. In his view the Austrian construction companies have long-standing traditions in tunnel construction and railway infrastructure and they will be interested in the projects that are to be implemented in our country.

The Austrian party is also interested in the project for improvement of navigation in the common Bulgarian-Romanian section of the River Danube, which is to be financed under Connecting Europe Facility. Because of its location on the river, Austria is interested in the provision of successful navigation along the river all year round.

The two Ministers committed to continue the talks within the framework of the forthcoming meetings of the EU transport ministers and to work towards intensification of the bilateral cooperation in the field of transport and information technology.