Balgarianovinite.com Sofia hosted a four-way meeting on the Black Sea – Aegean Sea corridor with participants from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the European Commission on Friday.
Bulgaria’s Transport and Communications Minister Grozdan Karadjov hosted the forum, which launched practical work on a cooperation platform set up on December 3 by Bulgaria, Romania and Greece with the European Commission’s support.
Karadjov told reporters that North-South should become a genuinely functioning transport corridor with practical solutions and clear deadlines. He said the three countries would coordinate planning, design, permits and delivery to avoid delays and bureaucratic hurdles. Bulgaria’s priorities include accelerating a new Danube bridge between Ruse and Giurgiu, planning additional crossings along the roughly 470-kilometre border, restoring Danube ferry links.
Karadjov also cited rail connectivity along the Western axis from Athens via Thessaloniki, Sofia and Bucharest, including a possible joint bid for EU funding for developing a high-speed route, restoring regular Sofia-Thessaloniki services, and electrifying the Ruse-Giurgiu rail bridge.
Bulgaria’s outgoing Regional Development Minister Ivan Ivanov said the Black Sea-Aegean Sea corridor is not only a transport link but an instrument for balanced regional development and for creating new opportunities for economic growth in border and less developed areas. He highlighted Bulgaria’s priorities as improving transport connectivity, including modernizing road infrastructure linking the ports of Varna and Burgas with the country’s interior and building the Black Sea Motorway as it will provide the missing high-speed road link along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast and improve connectivity with Romania. In parallel, Bulgaria is working on the modernization of Danube bridges and new cross-border road links, and better connections between Danube and Black Sea ports in order to improve transport links with Romania.
He also stressed the importance of improved connectivity with Greece through upgraded and new border crossings, and opportunities for industrial zones, logistics centres and intermodal terminals supported by coordinated use of European funding. He recalled that the Rudozem-Xanthi border checkpoint was opened just days ago. The next regional priority is the construction of a crossing between the village of Gorna Arda in Smolyan Region and the Greek town of Paranesti.
Ionut Cristian Savoiu, Romania’s State Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, said his country has the opportunity to begin practical work on developing the Baltic Sea – Black Sea – Aegean Sea corridor. He said Romania’s participation demonstrates the full commitment of the three countries to the corridor’s development and contributes to a stronger Europe. Romania is focused on several key projects, including connecting Constanta with Burgas, rehabilitating and modernizing the existing Giurgiu-Ruse bridge, building a new Danube bridge, and developing new road and rail routes.
The State Secretary also noted that Romania is working on improvements to the Vidin-Calafat-Craiova sections, which will enhance connections with Ukraine and Moldova.
Greece’s Alternate Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis said high-quality passenger rail transport between Thessaloniki and Sofia is expected to be in place by 2027, with all necessary preparations already underway. He said the project marks the first time that Bulgaria, Greece and Romania have committed so seriously to a shared European initiative. The aim is to connect citizens of the three countries through modern passenger transport while simultaneously boosting economic growth, trade and defence capabilities via a strategically important north–south transport corridor.
Kyranakis thanked the European Commission for its coordination and financial support, with special mention of EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas and corridor coordinator Mario Mauro, highlighting their role in advancing the project at the European level. Bulgaria, Greece, Romania Launch Practical Work on Black Sea – Aegean Sea Transport Corridor 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-01-30 19:39:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law