Kriva Palanka, 29 August 2025 (MIA) -- Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the country was taking action on the construction project for the third section of the Corridor VIII railway to Bulgaria by activating a technical assistance grant from the European Investment Bank, aimed at revising the entire project documentation before publishing a tender notice.

"The third phase will be of great importance for our country. It will confirm our goal of being at the crossroads of the very important Pan-European Corridors VIII and X," PM Mickoski said.

"What matters is that all past obstacles have been removed. We reached an agreement with out Eastern neighbor," he said.

He said this would complete the country's part of Corridor VIII, from Kumanovo to the Bulgarian border. He said construction works on Bulgaria's side were going well, too.

Mickoski also announced "good news and moments in the coming period" regarding Corridor X. He was in Kriva Palanka to inspect construction works on the A2 highway.

On Aug. 26, the government said it had decided to activate an agreement for 3.7 million euro technical assistance grant from the European Investment Bank.

In a press release, the government said a consultant would be hired to draft new project documentation; a tender notice would be published for potential contractors to submit bids for the project; and the Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure would begin the selection procedure for construction auditors.

The third section of the railway to Bulgaria, from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian border, is 23.4 km long and has 22 tunnels, one of which an international tunnel, as well as 52 bridges.

The first section of the railway to Bulgaria was commissioned in January and the second section is 30% complete. mr/