Skopje, 7 May 2025 (MIA) - I don’t know how this was published, but the part referring to the amount of the loan the country will take has been misreported, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said Wednesday regarding reports that the Government is planning to take a loan of EUR 6 billion from a European country.

In an interview with TV Sitel, Nikoloski said the Government is working on a significant investment cycle that should include “motorways, expressways and regional roads, rail infrastructure, hospitals, education”, for some of these projects, he said, the funds have been secured within the budget, while others will be secured through loans.

“This concerns current and new projects, as well as projects that need to change the image of Macedonia. But that doesn’t mean that we will take out a loan of a certain amount from one place, it means that some of the funds have already been secured as part of the budget, while others will be secured through loans as any normal, highly developed western country does when investing in such projects,” Nikoloski said.

More details about specific projects, Nikoloski said, would be known in a month or two. “Discussions are still underway and are at a very advanced stage,” he said.

According to the Minister, the Government’s “number one ambition” is to construct a high speed railway as part of Corridor X, from the border with Serbia to the border with Greece. 

“The railway will have two tracks, one will be for cargo which will allow speeds of 120 kilometers per hour, and the other will be for passenger rail at speeds between 160-200 kilometers per hour,” Nikoloski said, adding that the railway would make it possible for passengers to travel from Skopje to Thessaloniki in 1 hour and 30-40 minutes. The Minister expects the passenger track to be complete in less than five years and be functional as of 2031.

Regarding the Corridor VIII railway and a statement by a Bulgarian minister that they are waiting on the country to make a decision about the railway, Nikoloski said “the public is tired of hearing excuses from the other side”.

“There are words and deeds regarding this issue. There are currently a lot of words about Corridor VIII, but there are deeds only in Macedonia. Unfortunately, the other two countries aren’t doing anything in terms of rail infrastructure,” Nikoloski underscored.

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