site.btaSkopje Says Bulgaria "Distorts Facts" about Corridor 8

The Transport Ministry in Skopje has accused Bulgaria of "distorting the facts" regarding the agreement to build a cross-border railway tunnel as part of Corridor 8, a major trans-European transport route. The statement, reported by Nezavisen.mk, was issued in response to comments made by Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov, who recently said that Bulgaria is fully ready to sign an agreement and begin construction on the tunnel.

According to North Macedonia's transport ministry, while they are strongly committed to completing their segment of Corridor 8 and have formed a working group in response to Bulgaria’s request for cooperation, they claim Bulgaria has not responded to multiple requests to organize joint meetings to move the project forward. A planned meeting between the directors of the two national railway companies was reportedly canceled by the Bulgarian side.

The ministry also expressed concern that the Bulgarian public has been misled, particularly regarding reports that Bulgaria may not finance the reconstruction of the Sofia–Radomir–Pernik railway line, which is part of the corridor.

In March, North Macedonia notified the European Commission and other EU institutions of its concerns. It emphasized the strategic importance of Corridor 8 for regional cooperation and economic development, and urged Bulgaria to engage in discussions and planning.

Currently, North Macedonia says it is the only one of the three Corridor 8 countries (Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania) actively working on its railway section.

Corridor 8 is a pan-European transport corridor intended to link the Adriatic Sea (Italy and Albania) to the Black Sea (Bulgaria). A key missing link remains between Kumanovo and the Bulgarian border, although part of that stretch - from Kumanovo to Beljakovce - was opened in January.