Gyueshevo, 6 November 2025 (MIA) — The government is strongly committed to the construction and modernization of Corridor VIII, one of the most strategically important trans-European transport corridors, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski said Thursday after signing an agreement on building a cross-border railway tunnel on Corridor VIII with his Bulgarian counterpart Grozdan Karadjov, MIA's reporter wrote from Gyeshevo, Bulgaria.

"This agreement is a dream of generations on both sides of the border, something we have read about and learned about since we were children: that the two countries' capitals, Sofia and Skopje, should be connected by a rail link," Deputy PM Nikoloski said, highlighting the hard work and dedication to implementing the project.

Bulgarian transport minister Karadjov, too, described the signed agreement as "many generations' dream come true."

"We are restoring a railway more than 100 years old," he pointed out.

Karadjov, who arrived by train from Kyustendil, said it was an honor to work with Nikoloski on the project that will provide the missing rail link between the two countries.

According to EU's Directorate-General for the Western Balkans director Valentina Superti, the railway tunnel construction holds immense importance for regional development as well as bilateral collaboration.

She said the EU supported the cooperation between the two countries and provided financing for the project's implementation. The rail link, she noted, is expected to bring social and economic benefits throughout the region.

Ministers Nikoloski and Karadjov signed the agreement at Bulgaria's Gyueshevo train station, joined by representatives of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank, NATO and the United States. One of the attendees was US Ambassador Angela Aggeler. 

Corridor VIII connects the Black Sea with the Adriatic and will give the country access to two seas. The planned length of the cross-border tunnel is about 2.4 km, with 1.1893 km on Macedonian territory and 1.1937 km on Bulgarian territory. 

Under construction since 1994, the railway to Bulgaria is considered a project of national interest. Once complete, it is expected to boost regional trade, tourism, investments and overall economic development by facilitating the transportation of passengers and goods. 

In the immediate years post-construction, official estimates predict a spike of more than 30% in cargo volume and a 20-25% boost in passenger numbers. The Corridor VIII rail link is strategically important for NATO as well.

The 30.8 km first section of the railway, from Kumanovo to Beljakovce, was commissioned in January.  

The 34 km second section of the railway, from Beljakovce to Kriva Palanka, is currently under construction and is expected to be complete by 2026. 

A tender call will be issued next month for the construction of the 23.4 km third section, from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgaria border.

This section of the railway to Bulgaria, which will connect to the cross-border tunnel, has 22 tunnels and 52 bridges. It is considered the most challenging one, MIA's reporter wrote. mr/