Bulgaria proposes draft Agreement to North Macedonia for the construction of the border railway tunnel of Corridor 8

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

With the signing of the document, prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the technical, financial, legal and organizational issues related to the construction of the tunnel will be agreed, which should be in accordance with the European and national legislation of both countries.

The parties will agree on which of them will be responsible for the construction of the cross-border facility, for public procurement and for supervision of the construction. It is planned that the railway managers of Bulgaria and North Macedonia will create joint working groups to prepare the necessary documentation for the tender procedures.

Within three months of the entry into force of the Agreement, Bulgaria and North Macedonia must prepare and send to the European Commission and the financing institutions a common schedule for the implementation of the construction. The two parties will make every effort to provide grant aid for the construction of the facility and its adjacent railway infrastructure, complying with the requirements of the EU and NATO regarding the standards of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the draft agreement also states.

The Bulgarian side is ready to start negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia on the proposed texts as soon as possible, after which to proceed with its signing.