Bulgaria is working to establish itself as a transport and logistics hub between Europe, the Western Balkans and the Black Sea region. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev during his participation in the Sofia Economic Forum.
In the panel “Hardwiring the Region: Strategic Infrastructure and Connectivity in Southeast Europe“ Minister Peev emphasized the development of vertical transport corridors, cross-border connections and the need for closer cooperation between the countries in the region.
Bulgaria, Greece and Romania have joint projects in three main directions North-South - West, Central and East. The goal is better connected border crossings, industrial centers, logistics hubs and ports, he added. According to him, an important step is the Action Plan between the three countries signed in September 2026 in Brussels.
The plan includes 25 priority cross-border projects worth a total of around 22.8 billion euros. Among the main areas are the modernization of railway connections between the three countries, improving access to the ports of Varna, Burgas and Ruse, the construction of new bridges over the Danube and increasing the capacity of the existing infrastructure.
“Better connectivity along the North-South axis is important not only for economic development. In the current geopolitical environment, it is also important for the security and sustainability of the region, including through the development of dual-purpose infrastructure that supports both civilian and military mobility“, emphasized Georgi Peev.
The minister placed special emphasis on the need to overcome critical “bottlenecks“ in the region's infrastructure. He highlighted the acute shortage of facilities over the Danube River, pointing out that on a 300-kilometer stretch, there are currently only two bridges. Georgi Peev also highlighted the capacity limitations of key road and railway sections, as well as the urgent need to ensure better connectivity across the Balkan Mountains, as the main obstacles to transport flows.