Skopje, 15 November 2022 (MIA) – Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski who takes part in the EU-Western Balkans Transport Community Ministerial Council on Tuesday in Brussels presented the strategic Government’s commitment for construction of the road and railway Corridor VIII with a focus on East-West railway section to complete trans-European transport network (TEN-T) standards. The Council discussed the progress of the implementation of the action plans in the area of road and rail transport, transport facilitation and improving road safety in the Western Balkan countries. Underscoring that Corridor VIII is an important direction for regional integration, Bochvarski asked the European Commission to include it in the single European Corridor for the Western Balkans. “Considering that both the railway and road Corridor VIII are missing sections that need to be built or upgraded to meet the requirements of the TEN-T network, this requires time, but also huge financial resources. Support from the EU, exactly from the European Commission, is essential. And in this regard, we ask for your support in realizing our request for the entry of our corridors into the basic TEN-T network, especially the western part of Corridor VIII. We note that regional cooperation in the Western Balkans is coordinated and in terms of realization for TEN-T Corridor VIII is at a high level,” Bochvarski said. As part of the action plan, Bochvarski underscored the establishment of reliable and safe transport through the prepared draft law for the setting up safety agency, as well as the establishment of the Intelligent Transport System on Corridor X. For this purpose, he requested technical and financial assistance from the European Union. “We would greatly appreciate it if we were given technical assistance to the safety agency for continuous and sustainable support in the establishment and operation of the overall road safety system in the country on the principle of the so-called ‘Safe System Approach.’ I would also like to emphasize the need for financial support in terms of greater access to grants funding, especially for complex regional infrastructure projects,” Bochvarski said. In terms of achieving the goals in aligning with the European transport network, Bochvarski noted that the Republic of North Macedonia is making progress at a good rate, which is at the same level as the Western Balkan countries. In addition to Minister Bochvarski, the ministers of transport and infrastructure from the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as representatives from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine attended the meeting. As part of the Ministerial Council, a declaration on the establishment of closer cooperation in the transport sector between the EU, the countries of the Western Balkans and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine was signed as a step forward in the development of international transport in Europe.