Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia confirmed their commitment to continue the construction of Corridor VIII under the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation. This became clear yesterday after a meeting in Brussels between the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria Biser Minchev, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of North Macedonia Stefan Volkanovski, representatives of the European Commission, the financial institutions EIB and EBRD, the Secretariat of the Transport Community and the directors of the railway infrastructure companies of the two countries.
Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia have agreed to hold a regular high-level dialogue to achieve the successful completion of the reconstruction of Corridor VIII. Participants in the talks agreed to reactivate the cooperation mechanisms agreed in the 2022 MoU, particularly with regard to the provision contained therein for the establishment and maintenance of a joint working group.
At the invitation of the Bulgarian side, the first such coordination meeting will be held on 31 October in Sofia, with both sides expressing their readiness to cooperate closely with the EIB, the Coordinator of the European Transport Corridor "Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean" and the Secretariat of the Transport Community for the optimal coordination of the further progress of the development of Corridor VIII.
Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia have agreed to work towards finding a coordinated technical solution for the early construction of the cross-border tunnel between the two countries.
During the meeting Deputy Minister Biser Minchev said that Bulgaria has been making efforts for years to promote the development of Corridor VIII. He pointed out that the construction of the corridor is a key infrastructure priority for Bulgaria. "We reaffirm our clear commitment to making real progress on the project. This is especially true for the cross-border railway section with the Republic of North Macedonia from the tunnel at Deve Bair to Güeshevo with the aim of quickly removing this bottleneck and connecting the railway systems of the two countries within the 2030 deadline foreseen by the TEN-T Regulation", Biser Minchev emphasized.
"The project for the construction of the missing railway link from Gyueshevo station to the entrance of the cross-border tunnel "Deve Bair" is envisaged for funding under the Transport Connectivity Programme and should also be completed by 2030 at the latest, and after the completion of all procedures the construction can start in 2026," Deputy Minister Biser Minchev said.
Corridor VIII connects Bulgaria with the Republic of North Macedonia, Albania and Italy, and is part of the European transport corridor "Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean". The creation of an intermodal link between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea is key to enhancing the geostrategic autonomy of the EU and NATO in the region and will contribute with new impulses to its European integration and economic and cultural interconnection. The Commission welcomes the reaffirmation of both countries' commitment to regional cooperation, essential for the future of both countries.