NEWS

The preparation of the construction of new bridges between Bulgaria and Romania in Silistra – Calarasi, Oryahovo - Bechet, Nikopol - Turnu Magurele as well as expansion of the existing bridge at Ruse - Giurgiu is set out in the Action Plan of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development of Inland Waterway Transport and Connectivity in the Region. President Rosen Plevneliev stated this in Silistra when opening the discussion on the overall priorities of Bulgaria and Romania in the period 2014-2020.

 

The forum was held within the framework of the Council for Regional Development and Infrastructure of the President and with the participation of the mayors of 14 Bulgarian and Romanian Danube municipalities, representatives of the European Commission, businesses, NGOs and ambassadors.

 

At the last meeting of the Heads of State of Central and Eastern Europe in Bratislava, President Rosen Plevneliev and Traian Basescu agreed to continue working on the preparation and construction of a third bridge over the Danube River at Silistra and Calarasi. According to the President, one of the possibilities for funding this project after 2014, along with other joint regional projects, is the new tool "Connected Europe" with a total budget of around €30 billion, of which over 23 billion is allocated for transportation. It is expected that the same mechanism could be used to fund the project for improving navigation in the common Bulgarian-Romanian section of the Danube, which is also part of Transport Corridor 7.

 

"The Danube is a possibility - it is part of the longest European Transport Corridor which connects ten European states and creates a huge potential for development of inland waterways, ports and trade and tourism", stated President Plevneliev.

 

Hence, in the words of the President, connectedness is a top priority for the countries in the region. Rosen Plevneliev cited as an example the construction of the tunnel "Marmaray” under the Bosphorus, which completely changes the picture of transport in the region. By 2016 we expect the railway from the Turkish side to the Bulgarian border to be completed. According to President Plevneliev, Bulgaria should take advantage of this opportunity and prepare the construction of the railway and road sections of Trans-European Transport Corridors 9 and 10 from Bucharest and Belgrade to Istanbul respectively, as well as Corridor 4 to Athens via Sofia.

 

Bulgaria and Romania are two of the main gateways of Europe to Asian markets, to new trade routes and new investments, said President Plevneliev. According to him, this potential can be realized only with a focus on the common goal, which is the strategic development of the Danube region. "Now is the time to identify the common priorities, but it is essential to stay focused and learn from the mistakes of the past, therefore we need more transparency, responsibility and accountability of institutions. We must seek common priorities, but they must be legitimate and can not be prepared by one Ministry and several bureaucrats only”, President Plevneliev stated.

 

The President called for combined efforts to better position the region of Southeast Europe through investments, but recalled the need to continue reforms in the field of justice and home affairs and the fight against corruption, as well as reforms in the water sector etc.

 

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