Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov and Minister Christos Staikouras discussed the development of transport corridors along the North-South axis

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

Minister Karadjov pointed out that it is important to hold talks soon between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania in order to present a common plan for the construction of the routes to the European Commission and to seek additional financing for strategic projects along the North-South direction.

The bilateral meeting was held within the framework of the ministers’ participation in the fifth edition of the Sofia Economic Forum.

“Only a few weeks ago, there was a border between our two countries, which made it difficult for both citizens and businesses – hours were lost in waiting. For businesses, this was expressed in very real financial losses – over 500 million euros in lost profits. Today, this obstacle has been overcome, and the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area is one of the most significant events for the region,” the Bulgarian minister told the forum participants. According to him, over 18,000 Greek companies are already operating in Bulgaria, with investments exceeding 3.5 billion euros. “This is proof that not only have we made a good start, but also that our relations are developing at an excellent pace,” said Karadzhov.

Grozdan Karadzhov also stressed that Corridor 8 remains a key logistical route along NATO’s southern flank from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and is of great importance at the current geopolitical moment.

Projects are being built on Bulgarian territory in the directions Sofia – Plovdiv – Burgas and Karnobat - Sindel – Varna, with a total investment value of over 3 billion leva. The missing railway connection from Gyueshevo to the border with the Republic of North Macedonia of about 2.4 km will be financed under the Transport Connectivity Program.

The event is organized by the Delphi Economic Forum and brings together representatives of the state and non-governmental sectors, international experts, etc.