News

Today, the Minister of Transport invited experts from Germany to prepare a logistical plan for the development of multimodal transport in Bulgaria and the efficiency of the transport network in our country. That was announced during a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev, Deputy Minister Vladimir Varbanov and a representative of the Executive Board of the Port of Duisburg Thomas Schlipköter.

In the current year we are opening a new border crossing at Zlatograd-Thermes. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev after meeting today with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis.

The Bulgarian side is committed to taking action to speed up the passage through the Makaza-Nymphea checkpoint by installing scales for trucks. The aim is to alleviate traffic at the Kulata-Promahon border checkpoint. Next year, a checkpoint near Rudozem and Xanthi will be opened, the Bulgarian Minister of Transport added.

High-tech equipment to combat spills and solid waste from shipping in sea and river ports is due to start operating in the summer. This is whast the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Vladimir Varbanov stated today in Varna at the presentation of the specialized equipment purchased by Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.).

The European Commission has approved the allocation of BGN 60 million in compensation to air carriers. The funds were provided from the State Budget and transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The financial assistance is intended as a measure to support air carriers to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daniela Vezieva has been appointed a Member of the Board of Directors of Holding BDZ EAD.

She will take the position after recording it in the Commercial Register.

"The thorough focus of the economic model will be on the customer. The railways are the green future of European Bulgaria", Vezieva commented on her priorities.

War in Ukraine has proved that we are on the right track with the Government's Policy of opening more transport links with neighboring countries. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev during the Annual Business Meeting with the Government, organized by Capital. According to him, there are already problems in the supply chains. Many insurers do not want to be responsible for ship charters for loading and unloading in the Black Sea basin. "We have been working very actively on alternative supply chains for several weeks now", Minister Sabev said.

No investments have been made in the railways in the last 30 years and the carrier has been deliberately bankrupt. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev during a Round Table on "Restructuring of railway transport and implementation of the European program for reconstruction and development - a new perspective of the railways." He added that 45% of BDZ's rolling stock is out of operation and is not included in the company's repair program, while half of the applications were rejected due to inability to fulfill them.

In the current unstable geopolitical context, Bulgaria supports the development of the European Union's international communication connectivity through the construction of submarine cables. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dilyan Berkovski during his participation in an informal council of ministers under the auspices of the French Presidency, format: "Transport, Telecommunications and Energy". Bulgaria is preparing projects for additional connections across the Black Sea with neighboring countries.

"We need advaced infrastructure and a single trade policy to make Bulgarian ports attractive," the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev said during the second discussion on the development of the Port of Varna and the region. "We have made it clear that we will protect the interests of the State, shipowners and shippers."

We are working on building a system through which we will unite all structures related to border control so that they function much faster. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev during today's meeting with the Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community with the Western Balkans Matej Zakonjšek.

The availability of a valid driver's liability insurance will be checked electronically at the technical inspection points. The measure is in line with the Government's Policy and Minister Nikolay Sabev's request to reduce the administrative burden for the end user and remove paper documents.

Bulgaria and Georgia have a common vision for the development of economic relations between the two countries, as it was pointed out during a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia H.E. Tamuna Liluashvili.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the representatives of the road transport branch will work actively and in partnership, in search of solutions to all problematic issues for the sector. This was agreed during a meeting today between Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Stoyan Novakov and representatives of the Union of International Road Hauliers, the European Transport Cluster, the National Association of Road Hauliers, AEBTRI and others.

The composition of the Board of Directors of Holding BDZ EAD is changed with a Protocol of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Until a competition is held, Lyubomir Syarov, Petko Petkov and Yordan Mirchev have been elected as new members.

The dismissed members of the Board are Margarita Petrova-Karidi, Georgi Drumev and Svetlomir Nikolov. The motives are related to poor management, organizational shortcomings and delayed control over the implementation of repair programs.

The role of the Public Defender is very important for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, because the two institutions can work together to make citizens been heard and to have a strong civil society. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev stated at a meeting today with the Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva. The reason for the talks was the opinion of the Public Defender on the effectiveness of car eco-stickers.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will assist as soon as possible in opening an air line between Sofia and Skopje in case of interest from an airline to operate the flights. This assurance was received by representatives of the airlines at a meeting today at the Ministry. From a legal point of view, there is no obstacle to the start of passenger transport by air, because there is an indefinite Memorandum for cooperation between the Aviation Administrations of the two countries, which was signed in 2015.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Bulgarian representatives in the European Parliament will work for more successful implementation of the national interest in the Council of the EU. This was agreed by Minister Nikolay Sabev and MEPs Andrey Novakov, Radan Kanev, Petar Vitanov, Angel Dzhambazki and Ilhan Kyuchyuk during a meeting today. The parties agreed that the most effective tool for protecting the Bulgarian interest is the active role of Bulgaria in the discussions in the Council of the EU.

Plans for the development of water transport are based on smart, sustainable and comprehensive growth, at a fundamentally new level, meeting the new political, economic and social goals. This is what the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Vladimir Varbanov said at the ceremony marking the 141st Anniversary of the establishment of the Naval Academy "N. Y. Vaptsarov".

The Minister of Transport and Communications Nikolay Sabev invited the Turkish State to hold a Ministerial Meeting and visit Kapitan Andreevo-Kapakule Border Checkpoint. The meeting is planned to take place at the end of January this year, and will be attended by representatives of the responsible institutions of the two countries. That happened in the framework of the meeting of Minister Nikolay Sabev with the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bulgaria Aylin Sekizkök.

By order of the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Iliya Iliev, by the end of January BDZ-Passenger Transport should present an investment program to improve working conditions at railway depots. It is required to include clear and short-term actions.