site.btaRegional Development Minister Compares Previous Government Programmes with Pre-Design Studies, Presents Programme with Detailed Design

Speaking to reporters in Pleven in Friday, Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov compared previous government programmes to pre-design studies and the current programme to a detailed design.

Shishkov, an architect, said the programme contains details and dates that are not arbitrary but are the result of an in-depth and genuine analysis of how the country can be developed, which he said had been neglected by politicians for years. "There is a meaningful and realistic timeframe behind every date and reform," he said.

On August 12, the Rumen Radev government adopted a Programme for Government of Bulgaria until 2030. The document is based on the programme of Progressive Bulgaria and focuses on restoring state institutions, strengthening the rule of law, rebuilding trust in public institutions, restoring public confidence, and fostering a shared sense of national responsibility and solidarity. It also aims to accelerate the country's modernization to achieve the standard of living of the developed European countries.

Regarding the Hemus Motorway, the minister called its construction "a road to plunder". He said the government had inherited a lack of infrastructure and old contracts, but a legal analysis had been commissioned. Its aim will be to clarify the legal steps for continuing the motorway project and whether the State can afford to terminate contracts. The analysis will be completed by the end of August, when its findings and a government decision on the motorway's construction will be presented.

According to Shishkov, the Hemus Motorway to Veliko Tarnovo will be completed by the end of the Cabinet's term in 2030.

The motorway is planned to connect the capital Sofia with the Black Sea city of Varna, covering 418 km.