site.btaBulgarian, Romanian, Serbian Communications Ministers Back Joint Fast Internet Project

Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian Communications Ministers Back Joint Fast Internet Project

Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - The Communications Ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are sending a joint letter to the European Commission in support of a project for cross-border Internet access infrastructure in the Northern Balkans, which are one of Europe's least developed areas, the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications told BTA on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Deputy Minister Valeri Borissov visited Bucharest for a finalization of the document.

Minister Ivaylo Moskovski of Bulgaria, Delia Popescu of Romania and Rasim Ljajic of Serbia, and State Agency for Electronic Governance Chairperson Rossen Zhelyazkov, are approaching the European Commission for assistance to the project management team in finding sources of financing for the implementation of the initiative. The three countries share identical challenges in the development of broadband Internet access, they state.

The Northern Balkans are a hot area for migration en route to Western Europe. The three countries encounter similar problems with border control, which finds expression in interfacing surveillance cameras and exchanging information between the border authorities. In this connection, the project may bring strategic benefits to Europe and contribute to a substantial improvement of the control of the refugee and illegal migrant situation, the Ministers emphasize.

Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia joined their efforts for a trilateral agreement on the setting up of a cross-border broadband infrastructure back in 2013. The initiative came from the Bulgarian Transport, IT and Transport Ministry. Over the last three years, it was discussed at a series of meetings between the three countries' prime ministers, as well as between representatives of the three countries and officials of the European Commission, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

The business model of the initiative follows the logic of previously implemented fast Internet projects in Bulgaria and Romania, financed by their national operational programmes with resources from the European Regional Development Fund. Bulgaria has successfully implemented a nearly 20 million euro fast Internet project for rural areas and is planning a next phase until 2020. Romania has completed a 70 million euro project and, too, is planning a follow-up. For its part, Serbia targets achieving the objectives of the Digital Agenda for Europe, the press release says.