site.btaNorth Macedonia Launches First Section of Railway Line to Bulgaria, Part of Corridor VIII

The first section of the eastern part of the Pan-European Corridor VIII on the territory of North Macedonia, Kumanovo- Beljakovtse, was put into operation on Friday. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, four ministers, ambassadors of EU countries, directors of railways and railway infrastructure, representatives of various institutions in North Macedonia and the media travelled by train along the first part of the route, which in its completed form is to connect North Macedonia and Bulgaria.

The head of the EU delegation in North Macedonia, Michalis Rokas, described the inauguration of the first of three sections of the railway line to Bulgaria as an important part of pan-European corridors and "projects that are a symbol of our common vision and bring huge benefits to citizens and businesses in North Macedonia, the region, and Europe". 

"These almost 31 km are part of Corridor VIII, which connects the two capitals Skopje and Sofia... This is the first part of the railway line to Bulgaria, the construction of the second section to Kriva Palanka is also being carried out with a grant from the EU's Western Balkans investment framework, and we expect that the construction of the third part - to the border with Bulgaria - will start soon. Filling these gaps in Corridor VIII, along with those towards Albania, is of great importance because connectivity facilitates trade, attracts investment, opens up jobs, increases competition and contributes to security. At the same time, connectivity is the path to economic prosperity, which is the goal of the EU's economic and investment plan for the region. The European Union has invested over EUR 500 million in North Macedonia, giving priority to connectivity. The EU stands by you in the completion of these important infrastructure projects, but also in the implementation of other reforms," Rokas said at the official opening of the railway section, which took place in Beljakovtse.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski, the eastern part of North Macedonia is "one of the regions in the country that needs to be developed, and which deserves more economic progress". He expressed satisfaction that the rehabilitation of the stretch was completed on time, which "is an incentive to proceed with the second one and for the implementation of the third phase, which needs joint efforts with neighbouring Bulgaria."

"And as I often say, this is about connecting, not disconnecting with Sofia, because the importance of this railway is the full construction of Corridor VIII," said Nikoloski, who at the beginning of his term as transport minister identified the third part of the railway - from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian border - as problematic.

"Corridor VIII is an important strategic project, together with Corridor X, which are a top priority of North Macedonia’s government. I am confident that the second part of the railway line will be completed within the timeframe written in the contract, and very soon, the tender procedure for the third section (Kriva Palanka-Bulgaria border) will be completed, which will make us fully connected to our eastern neighbour. And with this we will in fact be part of a very important corridor not only for the European Union but also for NATO, and this is the corridor that connects Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and then Italy," Mickoski said.

The transnational East-West transport axis (Corridor 8) extends from the port of Bari in Italy to the ports of Varna and Burgas in Bulgaria. The central part of this pan-European corridor passes through North Macedonia - Kichevo, Skopje, Kumanovo, Beljakovtse and Kriva Palanka. However, there are missing links at the western end (from Kichevo to the Albanian border) and at the eastern end (from Kumanovo to the Bulgarian border), part of which (from Kumanovo to Beljakovtse) was put into operation on Friday.