Skopje, 17 July 2025 (MIA) - The State Secretary of the Macedonian Ministry of Transport, Stefan Volkanovski, and the head of the Railway Infrastructure public enterprise, Sinisha Ivanovski, attended a meeting with Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, Lyuben Nanov, in Brussels, organized by Valentina Superti, Director for the Western Balkans at the European Union’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, the Ministry of Transport said in a press release Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the meeting, held in a positive and constructive atmosphere as a follow-up to the last meeting held in October 2024, was an opportunity to exchange views and affirm the commitment and need to finalize the section of the Corridor VIII railway.

The two delegations discussed the progress made in recent months and agreed on the need to renew efforts for preparing studies and launching a tender to complete the cross-border sections of the corridor, with particular focus on the tunnel solution.

“Steps for the coming months were agreed upon, with priorities identified, including the re-publishing of the tender for work on the railway section between Kriva Palanka and the entrance of the cross-border tunnel by the end of 2025 by Macedonia,” the Ministry said.

Regarding the joint project for the construction of the cross-border tunnel between Gyueshevo and Deve Bair, both sides agreed to form working groups that will finalize the text of the intergovernmental Agreement by the end of July, aiming to define the specific obligations of both parties regarding the technical, financial, construction, and operational aspects.

The content and signing of the Agreement were also discussed, expected to take place this autumn, which would pave the way for construction works to begin in early 2026.

Both parties agreed to continue activities for the construction of the cross-border tunnel, which will be built in accordance with the existing technical project submitted by the country.

They also committed to exploring the most suitable options for joint application for funding from the EU or partner financial institutions for the joint construction of the tunnel. The European Investment Bank, which also participated in the meeting, expressed its readiness to assist in the technical discussions and support the overall process.

The eastern section of Corridor VIII connects North Macedonia and Bulgaria and is part of the European transport corridor Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean.

The initiative for the construction of this corridor also has strong support from the European Coordinator for the Western Balkans – Eastern Mediterranean Corridor and from the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, both of which participated in the meeting, the Ministry said.

Photo: Ministry of Transport