Bulgaria and Greece are going to seek financing from all possible international sources, including the EU and NATO, to enhance transport communication between the two member states, according to Euractiv.
Bulgaria’s defence minister announced early last week that the country would invest 6 billion euros in civilian infrastructure that would also support military purposes. However, the minister did not specify the funding source.
Projects include the construction of Transport Corridor 8 between the Albanian port of Durres and Varna, Bulgaria’s largest city on the Black Sea. Another major project is the construction of a highway between Romania’s largest port Constanta and Greece’s Thessaloniki. The new route will pass through the Bulgarian ports of Varna and Burgas.
The Bulgarian government did not deny the possibility of partially funding the projects with NATO and EU money, adding that the country is co-operating with Greece under a mutual interest agreement as these transport links are key to the alliance’s eastern flank. NATO plans to base a brigade of more than 1,500 soldiers in Bulgaria.
“The Bulgarian government is working for a complex agreement with Greece regarding mutual economic interest. Once it is finalised, all possible instruments will be used for its financial provision, as it is a question of complex, large-scale and multi-component projects.”
The road corridor from Greek Thessaloniki through Kavala, Alexandroupolis, Burgas and Varna to the Romanian port of Constanta, with a planned extension to Moldova, is of particular importance in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Bulgarian Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov noted last week the importance of building these roads for the rapid deployment of NATO forces. However, despite their strategic importance, the projects could take up to six years to implement.
The Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency has announced plans to award a contract for the development of an environmental impact assessment in 2024. It is expected to be ready in 2025, with road construction possibly starting at the end of 2025 if there is no legal appeal.
Another major project is the widening of the road between the Romanian border and Varna, almost 90 kilometres long, and then the route from the future Black Sea Highway to the Greek border.
