North Macedonia Seeks Joint Railway Project with Bulgaria for Corridor No. 8

Aleksandar Nikoloski, the Minister of Transport of North Macedonia, announced that he expects to meet with Bulgarian representatives to discuss a new joint railway project that would connect the two countries. The railway, which is part of Corridor No. 8, would link Skopje with Sofia and extend to the Black Sea. Speaking at a press conference marking the first 100 days of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski's government, Nikoloski emphasized the need for a collaborative solution, adding that he hopes Bulgaria will either agree with the proposed route through Kriva Palanka and Deve Bair or suggest an alternative.

Nikoloski reiterated his belief that the current design for the railway is not optimal, describing the costs for its construction as "inflated and unrealistic." He questioned whether the country should invest heavily in such a project, given that North Macedonia lacks significant natural resources like oil or diamonds. The proposed third phase of the railway project spans 23.4 kilometers from Kriva Palanka to the Bulgarian border, including 22 tunnels and 16 bridges. The project is financed through a pre-accession grant from the EU's "Financial Framework for the Western Balkans" and loans from the EBRD and EIB.

The Minister did not rule out the possibility of announcing a new tender for the project, after the initial procedure was extended during the previous government and, according to Nikoloski, ultimately "failed." He mentioned that the tender process is being prepared by the EU and expressed his intention to push for a requirement that bidding companies be from EU or candidate countries, or have significant experience building railways in EU member states. This, he argued, would ensure that only high-quality companies...