site.btaAgreement on Railway Connection between Bulgaria, Republic of North Macedonia Submitted to Parliament for Ratification

The Council of Ministers is sending a proposal to the National Assembly to ratify the agreement between the governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia for the construction of a cross-border railway tunnel. The document was signed by 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, the Bulgarian Government's information service reported here on Wednesday.

The signing of the intergovernmental agreement for the construction of a railway tunnel is the result of many years of efforts by the Republic of Bulgaria and the Ministry of Transport and Communications to establish railway connectivity between Sofia and Skopje and to implement the strategic Corridor VIII.

The document sets out the obligations of Bulgaria and North Macedonia for the construction of a tunnel in the border area of the railway line, including public procurement and construction supervision, in accordance with EU and NATO requirements. After the agreement is ratified, a timetable for the preparation and construction of the tunnel will be drawn up and submitted to the European Commission and the financing institutions. A joint committee will be established to coordinate activities and resolve issues related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the facility.