With the development of transport infrastructure Bulgaria creates the necessary prerequisites for attracting cargo flows from Asia to Central and Western Europe, stated Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev during the Second Meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the Central and Eastern European countries and China. It is held as part of the 16+1 platform in the period 25 - 26 October in Warsaw, Poland.
Within the event Deputy Minister Velik Zanchev presented the strategic framework in the transport sector, the main intermodal nodes on the territory of our country, as well as the large infrastructure projects funded by European funds.
Deputy Minister Velik Zanchev noted that Bulgaria's favorable geographic location is one of its biggest advantages, providing opportunities to connect the countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is the basis for attracting major transport flows between these countries.
"This advantage is further strengthened by the fact that two of the main corridors of the Trans-European Transport Network cross Bulgaria: the Orient/Eastern Mediterranean and the Rhine-Danube, to which is mainly directed the traffic from the East to the core of the European Union ", added Zanchev.
During the two-day event, a conference on “„Intermodality – guarantee for effective transport with a benefit for economy” is also held. Velik Zanchev outlined the importance for the development of intermodal links, through which reliability and continuity of the freight transport from China to Europe is achieved throughout our country.
In his speech at the Delegates, Deputy Minister Zanchev presented the goals set in Bulgaria's Integrated Transport Strategy for the period up to 2030. It outlines the long-term development trends, focusing on improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the transport sector, improving the internal and external transport connectivity and accessibility.
During the intergovernmental meetings, Deputy Minister Velik Zanchev had talks with the Vice Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania, Ričardas Degutis, with the State Secretary in the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia, Zoran Lakićević, as well as the Vice Minister of Transport of China, Jianzhong He.
At the end of the meeting with his Chinese colleague, Velik Zanchev attended the ceremony of signing a delegation agreement between the Executive Agency “Maritime Administration” and the Shipping Register organization “China Classification Society” which is recognized by the European Commission. The document was signed by the Executive Director of EA “Maritime Administration”, Zhivko Petrov and the vice president of the Chinese company Sun Feng, as it gives the Chinese organization right to carry out inspections of ships flying the Bulgarian flag and to issue the different types of documents provided for in the international conventions.
