Representatives of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia participated in a working meeting to discuss the Corridor 8 railway project. The meeting planned for 16.10.2024 in Brussels took place today in Sofia. The parties exchanged information, outlined the timeframe and shared their experiences on technical issues and topics related to the construction of Corridor 8, and in particular the procedures for the implementation and future operation of the Deve Bair cross-border tunnel facility. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Biser Minchev, the Secretary of State of the Republic of North Macedonia Stefan Volkanovski, the general directors of the railway infrastructure companies of the two countries, representatives of the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, among others.
After analysing the technical feasibility and assessing the risks, the participants in the meeting agreed that the cross-border tunnel facility "Deve Bair" is more appropriate to be built by a single contractor.
EIB and EBRD representatives expressed their support for this technical solution and their readiness to assist in the preparation and implementation of the tender procedure. Which party will conduct the procurement for the tunnel contractor will be decided in subsequent discussions with potential funding institutions.
