Today Bulgaria and North Macedonia reconfirmed their commitment to continue construction of the Railway Corridor VIII under the TEN-T Regulation. This was the outcome of a high-level meeting between Biser Mincher, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Stefan Volkanovski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport of North Macedonia, Sinisha Ivanovski, Director of Railway Infrastructure in North Macedonia, the EU Commission, financing institutions EIB and EBRD and the Transport Community Secretariat.
The two countries agreed to hold a regular high-level dialogue and establish a joint working group for Corridor VIII. In addition, the respective ministries will work towards finding a coordinated technical solution for the construction of the cross-border section of the Corridor. North Macedonia and Bulgaria also welcome the support of the European Corridor Coordinator for the Western Balkan – Eastern Mediterranean and of the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat to advance on Corridor VIII.
Corridor VIII is a critical railway link for the whole region and the EU.It will bring faster travel for goods and passengers, increasing mobility, market access and competitiveness of the Western Balkans. The Commission welcomes the re-confirmation of the commitment from Bulgaria and North Macedonia to Corridor VIII, which shows the willingness for regional cooperation essential to the future of both countries.
The eastern stretch of Corridor VIII connects North Macedonia and Bulgaria and is part of the Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean European Corridor and a flagship project of the EU’s Global Gateway. With EU financial assistance for project preparation and investment co-financing under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, North Macedonia and Albania are upgrading the existing lines and constructing the missing links along the Corridor.
Details
- Publication date
- 16 October 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations