Public Relations and Protocol

I urgently called today's meeting with the management of the National Railway Infrastructure Company, Holding BDZ EAD, Railway Administration Executive Agency and the National Accident Investigation Board with a single topic and that is a critical analysis and assessment of the safety system in railway transport in Bulgaria. This was explained by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov at a briefing today at the ministry.

It is very important to speed up the construction of the transport corridors - from Thessaloniki to Vidin and from there to Northern and Western Europe, as well as the project that connects Alexandroupolis with Ruse on one side and with Varna and Burgas on the other. This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said at a meeting with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of the Hellenic Republic Christos Staikouras in Sofia today.

The steps for the opening of a direct air route between Sofia and Podgorica were discussed at a meeting in Sofia between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov, the Ministers of Tourism of the two countries Miroslav Borshosh and Simonida Kordić and the Minister of Transport of Montenegro Maja Vukicevic.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov took part in the Rating of universities in Bulgaria - 2024 official ceremony, organized by the 24 hours newspaper. He presented awards in the fields of National Security and Architecture, Construction and Geodesy to the Academy of the Ministry of Interior.

A railway reform is needed, albeit very late, to prevent more incidents like the one that happened yesterday. This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said when taking over the government from the outgoing minister Krasimira Stoyanova.

He stressed that he has been connected with the sector for years and has a deep knowledge of the processes. ‘This is the second time I have become part of the team of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and some of my best years have been spent there,’ the new minister said.

The Bulgarian government has sent to the Republic of North Macedonia a draft Agreement on the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel facility connecting the two countries. The proposal of the Bulgarian state is that the two governments undertake specific and clear commitments for the implementation of the cross-border railway tunnel, which is a key element of Corridor 8.

Vertical signalling, horizontal markings and weather information boards will support the traffic organisation on the bridge at Vidin. This is what the new draft provides for the enforcement of passing vehicles.

Since 16.12.2024, when the traffic light was switched off, until now the traffic organization is supported by joint duty teams of the Ministry of Interior - Vidin and the company "Danube Bridge Vidin-Calafat" AD.

A postage stamp marked the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and China. The seal was set today by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Bulgaria H.E. Dai Qingli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nevyana Miteva, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bulgarian Post Emilia Facheva, Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Philatelists Spas Panchev and artist Todor Angeliev.

In Bulgarian philately, the tradition of celebrating significant sporting achievements in the Olympic Games dates back to 1964. This was said by Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova during the validation ceremony of two stamps dedicated to Bulgarian sport - "Olympic Glory 2024" and "Bulgarian Football Legends".

Today, the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova requested immediate measures and actions from all bodies controlling safety in railway transport in the system of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Executive Agency "Railway Administration" started an extraordinary inspection of all regional operating divisions of the National Railway Infrastructure.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications proposes for the two parties to start work on the signing of an intergovernmental agreement, which shall settle the issues on the preparation, construction and operation of the cross-border railway connection, part of Corridor VIII.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced a procedure to build charging infrastructure for electric vehicles on the roads. It provides support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to build an infrastructure network for alternative fuels. 

Bulgaria has supported a common approach on the Driving Licences Directive, which aims to achieve a higher level of road safety. The Bulgarian position was expressed today by the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova during a meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council of the European Union, Transport format.

Our seaports have serious potential. In recent years, the port of Burgas has been developing well and we should turn our focus to the port of Varna so that we are not bypassed. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Zhivko Petrov during the First Annual Forum for Transport, Logistics and Forwarding, organized by the magazine "Manager".

Ukraine is an important partner for Bulgaria in the regional cooperation in the Black Sea region. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova during a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Bulgaria H.E. Olesya Ilashchuk.

We may not have the political support, but we are seeking public and professional agreement to start making changes to rail. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova during an open expert discussion held today in the building of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The topic was the upcoming procedure for the procurement of public transport services by rail. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport, trade unions, the bus industry, academics, experts, journalists and public figures presented their opinions and recommendations.

With regard to the latest statement by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of the Republic of North Macedonia Nikoloski on Corridor VIII, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Bulgaria notes with regret, but without surprise, that it represents yet another political intrigue and abuse of Bulgaria's constructive approach. His statement in front of the the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia, according to which Bulgaria had rejected the proposal for a meeting in Skopje is a lie and a manipulation.

For the first time Bulgaria is hosting one of the most prestigious international aviation forums and this means a lot for our country and for the sector. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Krasimira Stoyanova at the opening of Aviation Event 2024 SOF. 

"Aviation is the sector that shows that the model of cooperation between the state and the private sector is effective. This is proven once again by the concession of the airports in Sofia, Burgas and Varna", added Minister Stoyanova. 

The Department for Transport and Communications is committed to achieving an efficient transport system that combines all modes of transport in a balanced way. This was stated by Deputy Minister Zhivko Petrov at the opening of a thematic day "Urbanization, Transport and Tourism" in the Bulgarian pavilion within the framework of the COP 29 Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Investments in railway infrastructure on the lines of Corridor VIII Sofia-Plovdiv-Burgas and Karnobat-Sindel-Varna exceed BGN 3 billion. This includes all projects already implemented and those underway. We are actively working to finalise the implementation of the 2.4 km rail link project with RSM, which is earmarked for funding under the Transport Connectivity Programme 2021-2027. Both the Cohesion Fund and the Connecting Europe Facility are used to achieve this objective. The construction of Corridor VIII has been a consistent and long-standing policy of the Ministry.