Skopje, 6 April 2023 (MIA) – Physical construction activities on Corridor X-d will begin in a few weeks at an event with media presence, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Thursday.

Based on the agreement signed with the U.S. – Turkish consortium Bechtel and Enka, the Bitola – Prilep motorway section will be constructed as part of Corridor X-d. The consortium is also working on the construction of three Corridor VIII motorway sections, which began on Tuesday.

In answer to a journalist’s question on why the Government appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Political System and Inter-Community Relations Artan Grubi as coordinator of the activities for the realization of the Corridor VIII projects, the PM said that this is not an added responsibility, but an issue of coordination, like all other Deputy Prime Ministers who hold coordinating roles in other departments.

According to Kovachevski, capital infrastructure projects are under the exclusive authority of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and its institutions.

“As in all other areas, when it comes to large infrastructure projects such as this, apart from the institutions and the Ministries that have exclusive authority, a need for opinions and an effective and efficient work from other institutions that are not a part of the relevant Ministry emerges. So, a Deputy Prime Minister is appointed in a coordinating role in order to ensure a swifter and more efficient coordination of such activities,” said Kovachevski.

The Corridor VIII and X-d contract is worth EUR 1.3 billion, excluding design and expropriation costs. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is looking into the media reports regarding the companies involved in the IRD consortium, which has been selected as the supervisor of the motorway construction. The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has also launched an investigation, saying it would attach particular importance to the case due to its specificity.

Regarding the cost of Tuesday’s event which marked the beginning of construction activities on Corridor VIII, and how the Arberia company was chosen, PM Kovachevski directed the media to Deputy PM Grubi’s Office, stating that he was not involved in the logistics behind the installation of the stage at the event.

Photo: MIA Archive