The joint working group of North Macedonia and Bulgaria held its first meeting in Sofia today, focusing on the preparation and implementation of the project to build the joint cross-border railway tunnel on Corridor 8.
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Under the agreement, the group is headed by the deputy transport ministers of both countries. North Macedonia was represented as co-chair by Deputy Transport Minister Kaltrina Zekolli Shaqiri, while Bulgarian Deputy Minister Cveta Timeva served in this role for the Bulgarian side.
Alongside co-chair Kaltrina Zekolli Shaqiri, the group included representatives of the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. Representatives of the Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure and Railways Transport JSC – Skopje also attended the meeting.
During the discussions, the parties reviewed the main activities related to the preparation and construction of the cross-border tunnel. Representatives of both countries reaffirmed their readiness to deepen cooperation and strengthen mutual coordination at every stage of the project’s implementation.
In her capacity as co-chair, Deputy Transport Minister Kaltrina Zekolli Shaqiri described the cross-border railway tunnel as a strategic investment of importance to the region. According to her, the project will establish a railway link between the two countries, make passenger and freight transport faster and more efficient, and create opportunities to expand economic cooperation between the two countries.
The parties agreed to draw up a clearly defined timetable for the activities, assign specific responsibilities to the relevant institutions in both countries, and jointly continue the technical preparations for the construction of the cross-border railway tunnel.
The working group also identified the steps that must be taken to secure financial support and ensure technical coordination. At the same time, its members confirmed their shared intention to accelerate the implementation of this strategic infrastructure project.
Representatives of both sides said Corridor 8 is one of Europe’s most important transport corridors, also highlighting the European Commission’s strong support for its implementation.
Based on the conclusions adopted, the next meeting of the joint working group will be held in Skopje. The meeting will review progress on the activities agreed upon and determine the next steps for implementing the project.
Through the Ministry of Transport, the Government remains fully committed to implementing strategic infrastructure projects and developing railway infrastructure, with the aim of improving regional connections and integrating into the European transport network.
