site.btaBulgaria, Greece Put Forward Sound Plans for Multimodal Transport Link between Svilengrad and Alexandroupolis

Sarajevo, July 5 (BTA special correspondent Hristo Vodenov) - Bulgaria and Greece want to connect the three Greek ports of Thessaloniki, Kavala and Alexandroupolis via road and rail links to the Bulgarian town of Svilengrad, Transport Minister Ivailo Moskovsky told journalists in Sarajevo on Thursday. He accompanied Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on a working meeting to Thessaloniki on Wednesday where the government leaders of Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the Serbia president met. On Thursday the delegation is paying a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Borissov, this transport project could be a 'money printing press' for countries in the region after linking ports in the Black Sea and along the Danube and building motorways and rail links with Macedonia, Serbia, Romania and the other Balkan countries.

Borissov estimated that Bulgaria may earn 4-5 billion leva in toll taxes.

Moskovsky said that each country will calculate the necessary expenditures. "Last month we were supposed with my Greek counterpart to present the project at the European Parliament but we couldn't make it," he said. Moskovsky voiced hope the project will be laid out before MEPs by September-October.

'We held talks with the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry. Now we'll present it at the 16+1 summit between China and Central and Eastern European countries," he added.

He said that the section between Alexandroupolis and Svilengrad is very important as it can be completed in the shortest amount of time.

"The road link will go hand in hand with gas and optic fibre links," said Moskovsky.

The Transport Minister said that at the Svilengrad station there is interoperability with the railway services of Turkey and Greece.

"The biggest advantage of the corridor is that it is characterized by true intermodality which can be seen in few places across Europe. Via Greek ports we are connected with ports in the Aegean, in the Black Sea and along the Danube," said Moskovsky. He added: "We are using road, rail, sea and river ways to ship goods and we think that this corridor has a high added value and will attract much interest."

According to very rough estimates Bulgaria will need to pay 1.5 billion leva. The country plans to raise money from the large international banks for the road from Svilengrad.

"For Greece the project is good for political reasons. The country will have an alternative route via the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, and Bulgaria will gain access on the Aegean sea. This road link won't harm anybody's interests, it will simply provide a new alternative for the carriage of people and goods," said Moskovsky.

The projects has been in the works for several months, the Transport Minister said. A joint company will be set up to prepare a pre-project survey of the route. However, this is unlikely to happen by September.

Bulgaria's National Railway Infrastructure Company and the Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company will participate with the likely involvement of the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Maritime Administration, the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River, and port operators.