Public Relations and Protocol

In the current year we are opening a new border crossing at Zlatograd-Thermes. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev after meeting today with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis.

The Bulgarian side is committed to taking action to speed up the passage through the Makaza-Nymphea checkpoint by installing scales for trucks. The aim is to alleviate traffic at the Kulata-Promahon border checkpoint. Next year, a checkpoint near Rudozem and Xanthi will be opened, the Bulgarian Minister of Transport added.

The European Commission has approved the allocation of BGN 60 million in compensation to air carriers. The funds were provided from the State Budget and transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The financial assistance is intended as a measure to support air carriers to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniela Vezieva has been appointed a Member of the Board of Directors of Holding BDZ EAD.

She will take the position after recording it in the Commercial Register.

"The thorough focus of the economic model will be on the customer. The railways are the green future of European Bulgaria", Vezieva commented on her priorities.

War in Ukraine has proved that we are on the right track with the Government's Policy of opening more transport links with neighboring countries. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev during the Annual Business Meeting with the Government, organized by Capital. According to him, there are already problems in the supply chains. Many insurers do not want to be responsible for ship charters for loading and unloading in the Black Sea basin. "We have been working very actively on alternative supply chains for several weeks now", Minister Sabev said.

No investments have been made in the railways in the last 30 years and the carrier has been deliberately bankrupt. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev during a Round Table on "Restructuring of railway transport and implementation of the European program for reconstruction and development - a new perspective of the railways." He added that 45% of BDZ's rolling stock is out of operation and is not included in the company's repair program, while half of the applications were rejected due to inability to fulfill them.

In the current unstable geopolitical context, Bulgaria supports the development of the European Union's international communication connectivity through the construction of submarine cables. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dilyan Berkovski during his participation in an informal council of ministers under the auspices of the French Presidency, format: "Transport, Telecommunications and Energy". Bulgaria is preparing projects for additional connections across the Black Sea with neighboring countries.

"We need advaced infrastructure and a single trade policy to make Bulgarian ports attractive," the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev said during the second discussion on the development of the Port of Varna and the region. "We have made it clear that we will protect the interests of the State, shipowners and shippers."

Bulgaria and Georgia have a common vision for the development of economic relations between the two countries, as it was pointed out during a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia H.E. Tamuna Liluashvili.

The role of the Public Defender is very important for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, because the two institutions can work together to make citizens been heard and to have a strong civil society. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev stated at a meeting today with the Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva. The reason for the talks was the opinion of the Public Defender on the effectiveness of car eco-stickers.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will assist as soon as possible in opening an air line between Sofia and Skopje in case of interest from an airline to operate the flights. This assurance was received by representatives of the airlines at a meeting today at the Ministry. From a legal point of view, there is no obstacle to the start of passenger transport by air, because there is an indefinite Memorandum for cooperation between the Aviation Administrations of the two countries, which was signed in 2015.

Plans for the development of water transport are based on smart, sustainable and comprehensive growth, at a fundamentally new level, meeting the new political, economic and social goals. This is what the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Vladimir Varbanov said at the ceremony marking the 141st Anniversary of the establishment of the Naval Academy "N. Y. Vaptsarov".

By order of the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Iliya Iliev, by the end of January BDZ-Passenger Transport should present an investment program to improve working conditions at railway depots. It is required to include clear and short-term actions.

Maritime Administration Executive Agency – Varna has received an alert for an accident with a death on board a motor ship Tsarevna. The information was submitted by the agent of the ship Sea Parthner Ltd at 23.35. The vessel flies the Maltese flag with an 18-member crew, including 17 Bulgarians and one Ukrainian.

The ship anchored for supply and change of crew at 23.05 on December 30 in Varna Bay.

The composition of the Board of Directors of Sofia Airport EAD has been changed.

Hristina Yankova, Ivan Dimitriev and Hristo Handjiev have been dismissed as members of the Board of Directors. Until the competition procedure, Dimitar Assenov, Krassimir Peshev and Milen Hristov have been appointed in their place.

Equal conditions and taxes for railway undertakings will be achieved through joint action by all stakeholders. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev stated in a framework of a meeting with representatives of the railway sector at the initiative of Deputy Minister Iliya Iliev.

"Legal changes can be implemented after a short period of time, reasoned proposals are discussed by experts in the sector", Minister Sabev said.

The concessionaire of Sofia Airport will accelerate investments in 2022. This was agreed today by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev and the Executive Director of SOF Connect, Mr. Jesus Caballero. The Minister insisted on re-planning an investment program and moving some of the financial commitments set out in the concession agreement to an earlier stage.

We are starting to work for creating conditions for the rise of the aviation industry as part of the country's transport system. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev stated in the National Assembly in the framework of a meeting with MPs, representatives of the aviation sector and the management of DG Civil Aviation Administration, Bulgarian Air Traffic Services Authority (BULATSA) and the State Aviation Operator.

Detailed analysis of all possibilities is necessary and the most practical option for solving the problems with crossing the Danube Bridge near Ruse has to be chosen. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev stated today in the framework of his visit to the Danube Bridge border checkpoint to assess on the spot the ideas for improvements in transport connectivity proposed in the framework of yesterday's public discussion in the Danube city. According to him, the key to turning Ruse into a European transport hub is dealing with traffic on the Danube Bridge.

In the framework of his visit to the city of Ruse, the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev also visited the single company in Bulgaria that manifactured new locomotives. This is the first tour of the Minister in a railway site, where modernization and maintenance of rolling stock is carried out.

Minister Sabev showed interest in getting acquainted with the work process and found out that the company was clean, modern and well-organized.

The establishment of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria 30 years ago leaves a very serious mark in all aspects of Bulgarian political and social life. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Alexander Pulev during a validation ceremony of a postal and philatelic publication dedicated to the anniversary.