Skopje, 2 November 2024 (MIA) – Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Saturday that a meeting regarding the railway construction to Bulgaria is scheduled to take place in Skopje in about three weeks. He noted that the previous meeting took place in Sofia, following a high-level dialogue in Brussels.

Mickoski expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts to transform North Macedonia into a crossroad for railway, transport, and energy sectors, emphasizing the government's commitment to realizing this vision.

“It is good news that the arguments we've consistently presented have been recognized, and the project will now proceed to review the third section from Kriva Palanka to the disputed tunnel entrance, which lacks a project from Bulgaria. The tunnel itself will be a joint project. We now have a clear commitment from Bulgaria to enter the design phase, ensuring the tunnel will link the Macedonian and Bulgarian segments. The Bulgarian side will take over the section connecting from the tunnel exit to their national railway, allowing us to start this procedure from scratch. I anticipate that we will fulfill our obligations as soon as possible, ideally by spring or summer of next year,” Mickoski said in response to a reporter's question about the conclusions from the meeting regarding the construction of the railway to Bulgaria, after overseeing the Prilep-Bitola road section, which is part of Corridor 10d.

Mickoski said that the road from Bitola to Greece is still a government priority in relation to Corridor 10, and he hopes that if all goes according to plan, there will be encouraging news by the end of the year.

He also noted delays in the construction of the railway, which is divided into three sections: Kumanovo-Beljakovce, Beljakovce-Kriva Palanka, and the third part from Kriva Palanka to the border.

The Ministry of Transport stated that a single contractor has been designated to build the tunnel for the railway connection between Macedonia and Bulgaria, to review the price and project for the third section, and for Bulgaria to complete its segment of the railway.

The three key arguments put forth by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Aleksandar Nikoloski, have been accepted. There needs to be a joint project for the tunnel to prevent it from being built without a proper destination; additionally, Bulgaria must complete its section of the railway, and finally, the price, which is currently excessive, along with the project itself, should be revised. The Ministry stated that, based on risk assessment, it is more efficient for the construction of the railway tunnel connecting Macedonia and Bulgaria to be undertaken by a single contractor.

Photo: Government of the Republic of North Macedonia