Bulgaria and Türkiye will work in closer coordination on the development of transport infrastructure and the implementation of strategic projects aimed at improving connectivity between the two countries. This emerged during a meeting in Sofia between Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
“Türkiye is an important partner for Bulgaria, and it is important for us to further develop this relationship. Our priorities include the Middle Corridor and better connectivity between the two countries. The Bulgarian Government is committed to developing infrastructure, and I believe that today’s meeting provides a sound basis for even closer cooperation,” Minister Peev said.
Abdulkadir Uraloğlu emphasised the importance of links between the two countries, both of which have access to the Black Sea and form part of shared transport corridors. “Transport connectivity with Bulgaria is very important to us. The East–West axis is one of the key corridors, but we cannot achieve comprehensive connectivity without the South–North axis. This is something we can work on and accomplish together,” the Turkish Minister noted.
During the meeting, particular emphasis was placed on the need to increase transport capacity between the two countries. “We have an excellent opportunity to improve connectivity by expanding the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing. At the same time, we are working on the development of a new cross-border link along the Lesovo–Edirne route. We will do everything possible to secure European funding for these projects,” Georgi Peev added.
Road transport was identified as a key element of bilateral transport links. In this context, the two sides agreed to convene a meeting of the Joint Commission on International Transport, where current issues affecting the road transport sector will be discussed at expert level.
“Rail and road transport are key priorities for us. There are a number of administrative and legal obstacles to the completion of the Government’s priority projects. Our task is to remove these obstacles and accelerate the processes so that the projects become a reality. To implement them, we must also make use of the opportunities offered by public-private partnerships by creating the necessary conditions to attract private investment. This is why it is also important to accelerate the legislative procedures,” Georgi Peev emphasised.
The two ministers also discussed the development of air transport. Minister Peev noted that the strong cooperation in aviation could serve as an example for the development of relations in the other transport sectors as well.
