Deputy Prime Minister Karadzhov to meet with EC in attempt to save money from Recovery Plan The delay in the order for 35 electric locomotives is critical
The projects under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are not moving at the required pace, there are critical delays, one of which is the order for 35 electric locomotives. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov at a meeting today with the Ambassador of Germany Irene Planck. Meetings with representatives of the European Commission are forthcoming in order to seek a flexible option for action and avoid losing money. This was announced today by the Ministry of Transport.
Minister Karadzhov and Ambassador Planck were categorical that the construction of Corridor VIII is a priority. "Two years ago, as Minister of Regional Development, I proposed projects for connectivity with Romania and North Macedonia. One of them is for the Dupnitsa-Gyueshevo expressway, for which I have started preparations for geological survey. And this is closely related to the other projects," commented Grozdan Karadjov. He recalled that a draft intergovernmental agreement for the construction and operation of the future Corridor VIII tunnel was delivered to North Macedonia on January 15, 2025.
Minister Karadjov also stated to Ambassador Irene Planck that the Ministry of Transport and Communications will rely on the German experience in the field of transport safety. "This is my main priority. While in railway transport, responsibility for safety lies with one institution, in road transport there are 5 administrations. As Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for road safety, I will bring together all institutions to outline a roadmap for joint actions,” Grozdan Karadjov added.
Ambassador Irene Planck expressed support for the efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Communications to modernize the transport infrastructure and for initiatives to improve safety. She emphasized the opportunities arising for Bulgaria from the Recovery and Sustainability Plan.