English
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski announced the construction of new express roads to German business representatives today, and invited them to participate in the tender for the third section of the railway connection with Bulgaria. He noted that the tender has been published in the most transparent manner possible and remains open for an extended period—four months—to ensure there can be no excuses regarding a lack of time to prepare a bid.
Currently, there is an open call for the third section of the railway connection with Bulgaria. The tender has been published through the European Union’s public procurement system, ensuring the highest possible level of transparency. It is open for four months—a timeframe we deliberately extended to prevent any subsequent claims that a bid could not be prepared within one or two months—and we expect German companies to participate as well. In cooperation with the EU, and as part of the Growth Plan for the development of the central branch of Corridor 8, the first phase involves the reconstruction and modernization of the railway line running from Skopje through Jegunovce and Tetovo to Gostivar. The second phase covers the section from Gostivar to Kičevo, while the third phase entails the construction of an entirely new section—which does not currently exist—running from Kičevo through Ohrid and Struga to the border with Albania. Furthermore, I expect that as early as next year—provided we secure funding—we will have two major projects underway in the eastern part of the country: two large expressways designed to connect us with the Republic of Bulgaria. One route runs from Kocani – Vinica – Delcevo to the Bulgarian border, while the second runs from Radoviš – Strumica – Novo Selo to the Bulgarian border. “These represent additional opportunities opening up for us,” said Nikoloski during a meeting with member companies of the AHK (German-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce) and the Macedonian-German Business Association.
He noted that the Government is actively implementing an ambitious agenda regarding the country’s infrastructure development.
“We are building new highways and railways, thereby creating a competitive environment to attract new investors, while also striving to retain existing ones. We are doing our utmost to ensure a favorable climate for foreign direct investors. At the same time, we aim to encourage new investors to enter the market. Regarding our future plans, we have launched a highly ambitious infrastructure investment campaign—one that far exceeds the typical, logical ratio of investment relative to our Gross Domestic Product or the current state of the national budget,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.