site.btaBulgarian, Polish Deputy PMs Discuss Joint Digital, Transport Infrastructure Actions

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov and Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski discussed joint actions for the development of digital and transport infrastructure, Karadjov's Ministry said in a press release.

At their session of talks here on Monday, it transpired that Bulgaria and Poland run into identical problems related to the financing and modernization of their state postal operators. 

"We want to keep the ramified postal network. At the same time, we don't have the right to pay the actual costs, which lands the company in serious trouble," the Bulgarian Deputy PM explained. He stressed that Bulgarian Posts EAD have over 3,000 post offices providing the universal postal service but, under EU rules, this activity cannot be subsidized by more than EUR 15 million. "We are trapped: in order to carry out the task assigned to it by the State, the company must run into debt," Karadjov said, quoted in the press release.

For his part, Gawkowski explained that Poland has the same problems with its postal operator. Poczta Polska has 30,000 post offices with a staff of 50,000. Overall, the sector employs some 100,000 people, and in 2024 Poland, too, requested the European Commission to approve state aid, the press release says.

The two deputy prime ministers also discussed the strengthening of North-South transport and digital links. "A natural barrier, such as the River Danube, has to be overcome by more bridges between Bulgaria and Romania. We need a bridge at every 70 km. At present, there are only two, which is quite insufficient," Karadjov commented. Gawkowski expressed readiness for cooperation, full support for the North-South corridors and for the development of digital infrastructure along this direction. 

Garadzhov told his guest that broadband connectivity between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea is to be set up shortly on funding from the Connecting Europe Facility. The digital infrastructure is to run through Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. There are also plans to lay a submarine communications cable on the Black Sea bed between Bulgaria and Georgia. The Polish Deputy PM expressed willingness for his country to join these two projects for fibre-optic cable systems.