Bulgaria supports the initiatives of the European Commission for attracting greater private investments in the sector Transport for increasing and completing the investments with public funds. That said the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Hristo Alexiev during the Transport Investment Conference. The Minister stated that these instruments could complete the traditional finance sources (European Funds, State budget etc.), but not to replace them entirely. Under his words the participation of the European Investment Bank in the process is of significant importance as the preliminarily preparation of each project is crucial for its realization and implementation.
“MTITC has a good collaboration with the EIB in the sphere of the consultant activity, and I hope they will ensure even greater support in the preparation of cross-border projects, with focus on the railway corridors. Thus will be achieved sustainability and multiplying effect to the projects in a long-term perspective”, said Minister Alexiev.
Within the frameworks of the second day of the Conference, Minister Hristo Alexiev had bilateral meetings with the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, and with the Ministers of Transport of Ukraine and Montenegro.
During the meeting with Violeta Bulc, Minister Alexiev presented the investments in the transport, which will be realized with Horizon until 2022. He stated that there must have been common standards for the projects within the frameworks of the European Union in order interoperability of the transport systems to be achieved. Commissioner Bulc expressed position that the member states must share experience and best practices in-between as well as to be partners in the common projects. Hristo Alexiev gave an example with the Burgas- Alexandroupolis Project and explained about the good collaboration with the Greek state and that common activities on the issue will be shortly undertaken.
In the meeting with the Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro Osman Nurković was discussed the update of the Agreement between the two countries on road transport. The latest Agreement dates 2011 and currently is being prepared an update version of the document, which is to be voted by the two countries.
In a meeting with the Minister of the Infrastructure of Ukraine Volodymyr Omelyan was discussed the project for the construction of a highway between Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Minister Omelyan stated that the Ukrainian side would organize a meeting between the two countries within the scope of the project and expressed hope for reaching an agreement for the construction of the highway. Minister Alexiev noted that Bulgaria supported the project and would participate in the forthcoming discussions. The Ukrainian Minister shared that his Greek colleague has also expressed support to the initiative and would participate in a joint meeting.
After the end of the Conference Minister Hristo Alexiev, the European Commissioner Violeta Bulc and the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova visited the metro stations European Union and Serdika. Violeta Bulc stated that she has been impressed as from the archeology as well as from the modern European image of the metro stations.
