site.btaSofia and Skopje Reconfirm Commitment to Continue Construction of Railway Corridor VIII

Bulgaria and North Macedonia Wednesday reconfirmed their commitment to continue construction of Railway Corridor VIII under the TEN-T Regulation, reported the European Commission's Directorate General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. This was the outcome of a high-level meeting between Bulgarian Deputy Transport and Communications Minister Biser Mincher, Stefan Volkanovski, State Secretary at North Macedonia's Ministry of Transport, Sinisha Ivanovski, Director of Railway Infrastructure in North Macedonia, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Transport Community Secretariat.

Sofia and Skopje agreed to hold a regular high-level dialogue and establish a joint working group for Corridor VIII. In addition, the respective ministries will work towards finding a coordinated technical solution for the construction of the Corridor's cross-border section, the press release reads.

Corridor VIII is a critical railway link for the whole region and the EU, the press release reads further. It will bring faster travel for goods and passengers, increasing mobility, market access and competitiveness of the Western Balkans. The European Commission welcomes the reconfirmation of the commitment from Bulgaria and North Macedonia to Corridor VIII, which shows the willingness for regional cooperation essential to the future of both countries.

The eastern stretch of Corridor VIII connects North Macedonia and Bulgaria and is part of the Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean European Corridor and a flagship project of the EU’s Global Gateway. With EU financial assistance for project preparation and investment co-financing under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, North Macedonia and Albania are upgrading the existing lines and constructing the missing links along the Corridor.