site.btaCabinet Takes Final Step before Agreement with North Macedonia on Corridor VIII Railway Tunnel

The Cabinet announced on Friday that it had taken the final steps towards signing an agreement with North Macedonia on the preparation, construction and operation of a railway tunnel between the two countries on Pan-European Corridor VIII. The draft agreement was given preliminary approval on January 10, 2025, before being sent for coordination with the authorities in North Macedonia. Following correspondence, notes were received from North Macedonia, which the Bulgarian government accepted, approving the final document on Friday.

The proposed changes include signing the agreement in English as well, in view of its subsequent submission to the European Commission and European financing institutions. The tunnel's length and its division between the two countries have been defined, and each country will be responsible for maintaining its section once the tunnel is operational.

The signing of the Agreement is a key step towards connecting the railway systems of the two countries and completing the railway corridor linking Sofia, Skopje, Durres and Bari. It is part of the Western Balkans - Eastern Mediterranean Corridor and the strategic Corridor VIII. According to the document, a Joint Coordination Committee will be established to oversee the joint activities for the construction and operation of the tunnel.

On September 29, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadjov announced that an agreement would be signed with the Republic of North Macedonia on the joint cross-border tunnel, part of Corridor VIII, on November 4.