site.btaAmbassador Vlaykov: Building New Bridges between Bulgaria and Romania is a Question of Political Will

The start of the major renovation of the Danube bridge at Ruse is a reason for a serious conversation about the connectivity between Bulgaria and Romania. There are only two bridges and five ferries on the 409 km border, some of which do not operate around the clock, said Bulgaria's Ambassador to Romania Radko Vlaykov on Wednesday during the ceremony marking the start of the overhaul of the Bulgarian section of the Danube Bridge at Ruse. 

In his words, since the entry of Bulgaria and Romania into the European Union, nothing has been done except the completion of Danube Bridge 2 at Vidin. Bulgaria and Romania signed a memorandum in 2019, which identified five points for the construction of bridges over the Danube. 

"The next thing is the work already started on a new bridge in the area of Ruse - Giurgiu, as this is a project not only between Bulgaria and Romania, but also of the European Commission. Here, of course, we have to work with European deadlines, not with the deadlines with which the bridge between Vidin and Calafat was built 13 years after the signing," Vlaykov said.

He described as outrageous the recent statement by the highest-ranking official in Romania's national road infrastructure company that the bridge would be closed for two months during the renovation.

"A few hours later he came out with an explanation, specifying that only one lane would be closed, but the damage was already done. Immediately Romanian and Bulgarian tourists started to change their plans," the diplomat added.

In his words, this gives a serious reason to review the connectivity between Bulgaria and Romania.

"The issue of building new bridges and launching ferries is not so much a question of money, but of political will. On the Bulgarian side, this political will has always existed and I do not see what could change our desire for connectivity with Romania," Vlaykov said.

He explained that some of the problems related to the repair of the Danube bridge would be solved now if the ferry between Ruse and Giurgiu was working. On the Bulgarian side, it is fully ready.

Vlaykov also said that there is another alternative - launching a ferry line between Tutrakan and Oltenitsa.

Regarding comments that Bulgaria should have postponed the main renovation of the Danube bridge at Ruse until mid-September this year, Vlaykov explained that the construction works are two years long and will cover, anyway, two summer seasons. Separately, Bulgaria had already notified the European Commission last year about the repair. In his words, the two countries had enough time to inform their citizens about the upcoming works.

Another reason for not delaying the renovation is that the state of the bridge poses a risk of serious accidents.