Public Relations and Protocol

The Bulgarian Maritime Training Centre now has up-to-date equipment for the practical training of seafarers in firefighting. So far, such a system has not been used in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula. Its presentation today in Varna was attended by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova.

The important tasks for the rest of the year are the finalisation of the procurement of new rolling stock funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the construction of three operational bases for air ambulance. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov during the government's report today in the Council of Ministers, where the ministers presented their top priorities for the next nine months.

‘A few days before Sofia Airport becomes an open door to the Schengen area, an automatic boarding pass checking system is introduced. This is very important in view of the approaching holidays and the summer season, when the number of travellers is growing,’ Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova said at the opening of the new smart counters at Terminal 2.

The State Aviation Operator (SAO) will not stop flying due to lack of fuel. This topic is being speculated, with incorrect and distorted information being disseminated in the public domain to create panic. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov told the media today, on the occasion of information circulated yesterday.

SAO has already signed the new aviation fuel supply contract with Shell & MOH Aviation. Under the terms of the contract, the price per tonne is similar to that of the previous supplier.

Grain carriers with loads of more than 50 tonnes have been caught, while up to 40 tonnes are allowed

The Department of Transport and Communications has been recognised in the Annual Road Safety Awards. The award in the category ‘Road Safety Initiatives by State Administrations’ was presented to Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov for the implementation of the air ambulance system in Bulgaria.

‘Road safety is a priority for society and our main task. Everyone can contribute to this great goal of reducing road casualties. This is also achieved through education, which starts at home,’ Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov said.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov signed today a contract for the delivery of 9 electric shunting locomotives, which will be purchased with funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Burgas region has the potential to be an economic hub on the Balkans. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Natova at the opening of the third edition of the National Forum on Air Transport Connectivity and New Opportunities for Tourism and Partnerships in the Black Sea Region and Southeast Bulgaria.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov and the Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt Mohamed Abbas Helmi discussed the signing of a new Air Transport Agreement. Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov and Deputy Minister Anna Mihneva-Natova are part of the delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel, which is visiting the Arab country today.

UMBAL Sveta Ekaterina is the second hospital in the capital to have a registered hospital heliport. This is the first medical facility to have a rooftop heliport. The Director General of DG Civil Aviation Administration Anelia Marinova handed over today the registration documents to the Executive Director of the hospital Prof. Dr. Dimitar Petkov.

Ministers and cabinet members paid their respects at the memorial plaque of the Belene camp

Ministers and members of the Cabinet, representatives of local authorities and the community visited the former Belene camp to pay their respects on today's Day of Appreciation and Tribute to the Victims of the Communist Regime.

The initiative for the honorary act in the concentration camp was taken by the Ministers of Environment and Water Julian Popov, of Justice Atanas Slavov and of Culture Krastyu Krastev.

Bulgaria and Romania prepared a joint project to improve navigation on the Danube. The FAST Danube 2 project, which was submitted today for funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, foresees the implementation of engineering measures in the common section of the river that will improve navigation conditions and traffic safety.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov met with representatives of the Association ‘I Have a Truck’. During the talks current issues in the field of road freight transport were discussed, related to the toll system and problems in crossing the two bridges over the Danube. The measures taken so far and the possibilities to facilitate the passage of trucks through the border crossing points were discussed.

This year Bulgaria will be the chair of the Regional Advisory Committee for Civil Aviation Search and Rescue (RASARAC). DG Civil Aviation Administration today took over the rotating chairmanship of the Committee from the Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Presidency will organise and hold meetings of the Management Board and expert working groups to address issues related to cross-border cooperation, operational procedures and agreements, training and preparation, and search and rescue oversight.

Thanks to the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sofia, the project was implemented in less than 3 months.

The first hospital heliport in Sofia is now registered according to HEMS requirements. It is located at UMBAL Sveta Anna and will be incorporated into the air ambulance system. This was announced by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov during the handing over of the airport registration documents to the Executive Director of the medical institution Dr. Slavcho Bliznakov.

With the positioning of the helicopter here, it will cover a wide perimeter in Eastern and Central Bulgaria, as well as part of the Trakia highway

By the end of the year, we will prepare for operation the third temporary operating base for the air emergency. This was said by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov, who together with the Mayor of Sliven Stefan Radev visited Burshen Airport today. The third temporary and later one of the six permanent HEMS bases will be located there.

Safe driving training should become part of driver training. We are starting studies to implement them in the training program. This was said by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov at a meeting with parents of children killed in road accidents and representatives of the initiative comittee ‘Together against the madness on the roads’.

Bulgaria and Japan will cooperate in the field of transport security and high-tech development. This was discussed at a meeting of the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeikov with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Bulgaria H.E. Hisashi Michigami.

Prime Minister Academic Nikolay Denkov, in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov, handed over the certificates of airworthiness (brevets) to the first pilots who will perform emergency medical assistance operations by air — HEMS. The six pilots, who will operate the first two helicopters, have undergone theoretical and practical training and passed their exams.