The Parliament adopted at first and second reading in one session the Draft Law on Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) for the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel facility, signed on November 6, 2025 in the village of Gyueshevo, BTA reported.
The agreement reached is the result of Bulgaria's long-standing efforts to implement the railway connection between Sofia and Skopje and is an important step towards connecting the railway networks of the two countries and building the missing section of Corridor VIII, the explanatory memorandum to the bill states.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications in resignation Grozdan Karadjov pointed out that the missing section in our country is only 2.4 km from Gyueshevo station to the state border with RSM on Deve Bair. According to him, the tunnel will be only 2.4 km long, but its significance far exceeds its size. After more than 83 years of silence in the turns of this tunnel, since the first meters on our side have already been dug, construction will resume again and you will make this possible today with your vote, he addressed the people's representatives.
The agreement regulates the obligations of the parties for the construction of a cross-border railway tunnel in the border area of the railway line, including the award of public contracts for construction and construction supervision, as well as efforts to provide grant aid for the construction of the facility, which should meet the requirements of the EU and NATO for this type of infrastructure.
It is planned that a preliminary schedule for the preparation and construction of the tunnel will be prepared within a short period of time after the entry into force of the agreement, to be presented to the European Commission and the financing European banking institutions. The agreement provides for the establishment of a joint committee to coordinate all activities and resolve issues related to the construction, operation and maintenance of the facility based on the respective decisions of both parties, the explanatory memorandum to the bill states.