The National Recovery and Sustainability Plan projects are not moving at the pace required, there are critical delays, one of which is the procurement of 35 electric railcars. This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said at a meeting today with German Ambassador Irene Plank. He informed that meetings with representatives of the European Commission are to be held in order to seek a flexible option for action and not to lose money.
Minister Karadzhov and Ambassador Plank were adamant that the construction of Corridor VIII is a priority. “Two years ago, as Regional Development Minister, I proposed connectivity projects with Romania and North Macedonia. One of them is the Dupnitsa - Güeshevo expressway, for which I started the preparation of a geological survey. And this is closely related to the other projects”, said Grozdan Karadzhov. He recalled that a draft intergovernmental agreement for the construction and operation of the future tunnel of Corridor VIII was handed over to North Macedonia on January 15, 2025.
Minister Karadzhov also told Ambassador Irene Plank that the Ministry of Transport and Communications will rely on German experience in the field of transport safety. “This is my top priority. While in rail transport the responsibility for safety lies with one institution, in road transport there are 5 administrations. As Deputy Prime Minister in charge of road safety, I will bring all institutions together to identify a roadmap for common action,” Grozdzan Karadzhov said.
Ambassador Irene Planck expressed support for the efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Communications to modernise transport infrastructure and for initiatives to improve safety. She highlighted the opportunities arising for Bulgaria from the Recovery and Sustainability Plan.