Approximately 4 billion BGN will be invested in our transport infrastructure until 2020 on Operational Programme on Transport and Transport Infrastructure and 406 million BGN on the Connecting Europe Facility. That stated the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Hristo Alexiev during the opening ceremony of the Regional Transport Investment Conference. The event is organized by the Mobility and Transport General Directorate of the EC in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications.
“With the European funding we do develop by priority the Core corridors of the Trans-European Transport Network, which pass across the territory of Bulgaria: Orient-East Med and Rhine-Danube. We modernize the airport and port infrastructure with the assistance of the private sector”, said also Minister Alexiev in his opening speech.
The modernization of the directions of the Core Trans-European Network and the improvement of the intermodality were also laid in the first programme period of Operational Programme on Transport. „As a result from the implementation of the programme, over 4 billion BGN – European and national co-funding are invested for development of the transport infrastructure of our country”, said the Minister.
“As a result, we expect in the end of the period to have completely finalized railway connection, which ensure modern conditions for transport from Sofia via Plovdiv to Burgas and to Svilengrad – Turkish border”, stated Minister Hristo Alexiev.
He added that the Connecting Europe Facility also plays a key role for the development of the transport infrastructure regarding the Core Corridors on the territory of Bulgaria. For our country are envisaged 406 million BGN from the Cohesion package for priority projects mainly in the railway and water sectors.
By funding under Priority axis “Technical assistance” of OPTTI 2014-2020, at the present stage is being realized a project for the development of Integrated Transport Strategy in the period to 2030. The strategic document is being prepared in fulfilment of the Ex-ante conditions of the European Commission for absorption of European structural and investment funds for the period 2014-2020 and in conformity with the Partnership Agreement of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Within the Forum, Minister Hristo Alexiev had bilateral conversations with Ministers of Transport, who attend the Conference.
In a meeting with Christos Spirtzis, Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks of Greece, was discussed the construction of transport connection Burgas-Alexandroupolis. The two Ministers expressed their position that this is a project of a common interest and agreed to sign an Agreement for construction and operation of the newly constructed infrastructure. Minister Alexiev stated that in order the project to be lucrative is necessary to be considered in a broader scope – as not only a connection between the ports Burgas and Alexandroupolis. To the alignment may be included the ports of Varna and thereafter Rousse, and on Greek territory – the ports of Kavala, and on a later stage – Thessaloniki. As per the words of Minister Alexiev, with the extended scope will be made the connection between two seas and the Danube River.
The Ministers Alexiev and Spirtzis shared the opinion that one company on the territory of the two countries, i.e. to be considered as one project, but not as two separate, must realize the construction of this connection. Minister Hristo Alexiev expressed a viewpoint that there is necessary all the services along the Corridor to be united in “one-stop-shop”, as for the cargo, transported by rail transport, as well as for the ports.
Other topic of the meeting between the Bulgarian and Greek Ministers was the construction of a vertical transport axis in the area of the Rodopi. It will reduce the isolation of the adjacent settlements and will boost the economic growth in the region.
The bilateral meetings of Minister Alexiev with participants in the Conference and with the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc continue today and tomorrow.
