European Commission welcomes agreement on Railway Corridor VIII between Bulgaria and North Macedonia

Today, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, represented, respectively, by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski signed an agreement on the preparation, construction and operation of a cross-border railway tunnel facility alongside Corridor VIII. Valentina Superti, Director for Western Balkans at DG ENEST, attended the signing ceremony at Gyueshevo Railway Station, at the border between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

The European Commission, which provides significant financial support to the project, welcomes this milestone, which carries major strategic importance for both countries, the wider Western Balkans region, and the EU. The EU remains fully committed to supporting this important project and looks forward to its effective implementation in close cooperation with all partners.

The tunnel will form an integral part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and is part of a flagship initiative under the EU's Global Gateway. Once completed, it will bring substantial social and economic benefits to the region. Joint work on cross-border initiatives like this reinforces good neighbourly relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia - a key element in the latter's EU accession process.