site.btaBulgaria and North Macedonia to Sign Agreement on Cross-Border Railway Tunnel

Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadjov, and North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski are signing Thursday an agreement on the preparation, construction, and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel between the two countries, the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport announced on Monday.

The signing ceremony will take place at 11:45 a.m. at the railway station in Gyueshevo.

The event will be attended by representatives of the European Commission, diplomatic missions of EU and NATO member states in Bulgaria, as well as officials from the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Bank.

According to the Transport Ministry, the cross-border tunnel is a key element of the “Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean” transport corridor and the strategic Corridor VIII. Its implementation will provide the missing rail link between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and improve transport connectivity between the Black Sea and the Adriatic.

The planned length of the tunnel is approximately 2.4 km, with half of it located on Bulgarian territory.

The construction of the tunnel is expected to boost the region’s economic development and strengthen the integration of transport networks at the EU and NATO level.