Skopje, 17 October 2024 (MIA) – We’re not giving up on our positions for a joint project that is feasible to construct a railway along Corridor VIII with Bulgaria and to review the price, because we cannot realize the project with the current price, Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said Thursday.

“This project won’t be realized; we’ll see whether there will be a new one. A dialogue started yesterday in Brussels and the next meeting is in two weeks’ time on October 31. Let’s see what will happen. We’re not giving up on our positions for a joint project that is feasible to construct a railway along Corridor VIII with Bulgaria and to review the price, because we cannot realize the project with the current price. I’m still against the project, Nikolovski told Telma TV before a conference in Skopje.

Earlier, the Transport Ministry in a press release said the government is strongly committed to constructing a new rail network in the country while also remaining fully committed to constructing the eastern stretch of Corridor VIII railway.

“This is in fact confirmed by the continuing process of construction of the first and second stage of the Corridor VIII railway. This was the position of the Macedonian delegation, including Stefan Volkanovski, State Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, and Sinisha Ivanovski, Director of Railway Infrastructure, which held a working meeting yesterday in Brussels, mediated by the EU, with officials of the Bulgarian government, led by the deputy transport minister. It focused on talks on railway connection between the two countries. Macedonia is not quitting constructing a railway towards Bulgaria, but it cannot accept the implementation of a project ending in a tunnel for which Bulgaria doesn’t have a project and where it is not certain that activities are made for rail connection,” the Macedonian delegation members stressed, according to the press release.

The only condition acceptable for Macedonia to implement this project is if Bulgaria starts a project on a tunnel pipe and both countries, Macedonia and Bulgaria, do a joint tunnel breakthrough, which would help the project gain sense and the goal of regional integration as part of the European transport network would be met. 

“A new call must be issued, which would be a joint project implemented by Macedonia and Bulgaria in order the rail to be built in the spirit of good neighbourly ties. Also, the price has to be revised as we deem it is too high,” said the press release. 

In the meeting, the Bulgarian officials said at the moment there is no project to complete the construction of a railway to the border with Macedonia and to construct a tunnel all the while expressing preparedness to complete a project by 2026.

MIA file photo