site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria Can Catch Up on North-South Infrastructure Development Lag, Regional Development Minister Tells ARES 2026 Conference

At the 3rd AmChams Regional Economic Summit (ARES 2026), held in Sofia on Thursday, Bulgaria's Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Shishkov presented the Government's plans to address quickly this country's lag in the development of North-South transport infrastructure. The plans include a design and construction programme and active attraction of private capital and partnerships.

"Bulgaria is lacking links to the so-called body of motorways, connectivity as a whole," Shishkov said. "We will be working hard, and we hope for a real in-depth partnership so as to be able to overcome this issue as soon as possible, so that we could live in a region where connectivity helps us rather than where the lack of roads impedes us," the Minister added.

Among the key infrastructure projects, Shishkov singled out the planned construction of a motorway between Ruse (on the Danube, Bulgaria's border with Romania) and Makaza (on Bulgaria's border with Greece). Another priority project is the Black Sea Motorway (between the Bulgarian coastal cities of Varna in the North and Burgas in the South). The Minister also discussed the Struma Motorway (between Sofia and Kulata on the border with Greece), where further design and completion steps are envisaged, as well as the Rila Motorway (linking Gyueshevo on the border with North Macedonia with the Struma, Trakia and Hemus motorways).

Shishkov said that the lack of infrastructure connectivity affects the entire region and not Bulgaria alone.

He argued that the design and investment model for the bulk of large infrastructure projects implemented so far, relying mainly on the central-government budget or EU funds, is a problem. Shishkov expressed readiness for a change of this model by attracting private capital and the State taking care for the preparation of adequate projects and economic analyses on their rate of return and relevant legislative revisions.