Bulgaria agreed to build a joint railroad tunnel with Macedonia

Bulgaria has agreed to build a joint tunnel under Mt. Osogovo, connecting the railroad systems of the two countries between Kriva Palanka and Kustendil. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski met with his Bulgarian counterpart Grozdan Karadzov to discuss the importance of finishing Corridor 8.\

The two interlocutors agreed that this project has a regional dimension. Besides its economic importance, it touches on the issue of strategic positioning of the NATO alliance and connecting the Adriatic and the Black Sea. Both officials agreed to hold another meeting in the coming period, to jointly determine the agreement that will align positiosn on the construction of the joint tunnel that needs to connect Macedonia and Bulgaria, and move things forward on Corridor 8, said the Macedonian Transportation Ministry.

Early in the term of the Government, Nikoloski revoked a contract to build a railroad line on the last section between Kriva Palanka and the Bulgarian border because it did not include commitment from Bulgaria that it will build a tunnel on its end. Now, Bulgaria is pledging to invest 1.5 billion EUR on its end to develop the corridor linking it to Macedonia.