site.btaUPDATED Transport Minister Karadzhov: Schengen Accession of Bulgaria, Romania Is Key for Region

The full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area is one of the most significant events for the region, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov said during the fifth edition of the Sofia Economic Forum, which is taking place in Sofia on Monday.

More than 18,000 Greek companies are already working in Bulgaria, with the total volume of investments exceeding EUR 3.5 billion, Karadzhov said.

The Transport Minister stressed that the economy and regional development are inextricably linked to transport, energy and digital infrastructure. The Balkans still have a long way to go, but efforts in this direction are already underway, he said.

Corridor number 8 is among the key projects of crucial geopolitical importance, it is a strategic logistics route linking the Adriatic and the Black Sea, Karadzhov noted. In Bulgaria, the corridor is a priority, with projects along the Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Karnobat, Sindel and Varna routes under construction, with a total investment value of over BGN 3 billion.

Additionally, the missing railway link from Gyueshevo to the border with North Macedonia is planned to be built, with a length of about 2.4 kilometres, which will be financed under the Transport Connectivity programme. Minister Karadzhov noted that Bulgaria has sent a draft agreement to North Macedonia, which includes issues such as financing, selection of partners, project management, among others.

Karadzhov also stressed the importance of restoring the direct rail link between Sofia, Kulata and Thessaloniki, which would open opportunities for talks with Romania on the Thessaloniki-Sofia-Vidin-Calafat multimodal rail corridor.

The Minister said that earlier on Monday he had a meeting with his Greek counterpart Christos Staikouras. The two discussed the organisation of a tripartite meeting with Romanian Minister Sorin Grindeanu to jointly present a request to the European Commission for funding two priority projects: the Thessaloniki-Vidin corridor and the Alexandroupolis-Ruse-Varna-Burgas corridor. The second project, known as "from sea to sea", will connect the ports of Thessaloniki, Kavala and Alexandroupolis with those of Varna, Burgas and Ruse. Minister Karadzhov expressed hope that these projects will be accelerated in the coming months.