By 2030, the tunnel on the Bulgarian side along Corridor 8 must be completed

By 2030 at the latest, the tunnel on the Bulgarian side along Corridor #8. This was stated by Transport Minister Krasimira Stoyanova to Bulgaria ON AIR, quoted by FOCUS.

In front of Milena Milotinova, she emphasized that this was said repeatedly to the authorities in Skopje, including at the meeting on October 16 in Brussels, which was attended by EC experts and representatives of Sofia and Skopje at the deputy ministerial level, as well as financial institutions EIB and EBRD. At this meeting, Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia reaffirmed their commitment to the construction of Corridor No. 8, the EC announced, expressing its satisfaction.

Less than a day after that, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport in Skopje, Aleksandar Nikoloski, stated that the project for Corridor No. 8 will have to be changed, as there is no agreement from the Macedonian side for the existing project and price. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski added that Skopje will not build the third section of the railway from Corridor No. 8 until Sofia completes its half of the tunnel.

"Regarding the connection of the two borders, Bulgaria has currently built the entire railway infrastructure, leaving one section of about 2.5 km unbuilt. Our country has secured financing for it. The technical project will be ready by the end of 2024, and our country will be ready to build the section from Gueshevo to the border with the RSM by 2030 at the latest. "Unfortunately, we do not see assurances and clear deadlines when the colleagues from the RSM will build their part in the section from Kriva Palanka to the border with Bulgaria," Minister Stoyanova also told Bulgaria ON AIR.

The Bulgarian side has built a part of the cross-border tunnel "Deve bair" back in 1948, the minister recalled. And he added: "So their accusations that Bulgaria has not built anything, that Bulgaria is not ready and therefore they will not give the taxpayers' money to go recklessly, are categorically not true."

She said that she was surprised why the RSM was talking about corruption projects. "Does anyone think that financial institutions with such authority (EIB and EBRD) would invest in corrupt projects?", pointed out the guest and added that there is no explanation for this.

"What I don't understand is why colleagues from RSM deprive their businesses, their fellow citizens of having access to more markets, to more competition, to faster movement," said Krasimira Stoyanova.

At the end, she confirmed that Corridor No. 8 is a priority for Bulgaria, for the EC, for NATO and expressed hope that the project will be a priority for North Macedonia as well.