Public Relations and Protocol

Today we have changed the time not only of the clocks, but also of Bulgaria's development on its European path. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov said after today's ceremony at Sofia Airport for the accession of our country to the Schengen area. He added that thanks to the hard work of many people over the past months the door to Schengen is already open and Bulgaria's full membership is a matter of time.

The first 19 will arrive in mid-April, and by the beginning of the summer all the wagons will be included in the BDZ fleet

BDZ-Passenger Carriages Ltd. and Deutsche Bahn today signed a contract for the delivery of 76 modernized passenger cars. The first 19 of these will arrive in Bulgaria in April, and the remaining 57 will be delivered on schedule by early June. With these funds BDZ will modernize over 20% of its rolling stock and will serve the busiest routes from Sofia to Varna, Burgas and Ruse.

In 2023, the Bulgarian aviation sector has reached 92% of its 2019 results. This became clear during the Annual Awards of the Association of Bulgarian Airlines (ABA), where the annual analysis of the Bulgarian aviation market was also presented. Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova presented one of the awards to prof. Boris Bornev. The award is for his contribution to the preservation of the historical heritage of Bulgarian civil aviation and in the training of aviation cadres.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov participated in a discussion on road safety at 132 Vanya Voynova Secondary School in Sofia. He briefed the students present on the main requirements related to the training of driver candidates, paying special attention to the compulsory elements in the practical training.

Bulgaria Heli Med Services EAD already has an aviation operator certificate to perform emergency medical services by air — HEMS. This is what the Minister for Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov said today during the first training flight with the Bulgarian helicopter.

The Bulgarian Maritime Training Centre now has up-to-date equipment for the practical training of seafarers in firefighting. So far, such a system has not been used in Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula. Its presentation today in Varna was attended by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova.

The important tasks for the rest of the year are the finalisation of the procurement of new rolling stock funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the construction of three operational bases for air ambulance. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov during the government's report today in the Council of Ministers, where the ministers presented their top priorities for the next nine months.

‘A few days before Sofia Airport becomes an open door to the Schengen area, an automatic boarding pass checking system is introduced. This is very important in view of the approaching holidays and the summer season, when the number of travellers is growing,’ Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Mihneva-Natova said at the opening of the new smart counters at Terminal 2.

The State Aviation Operator (SAO) will not stop flying due to lack of fuel. This topic is being speculated, with incorrect and distorted information being disseminated in the public domain to create panic. This is what the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov told the media today, on the occasion of information circulated yesterday.

SAO has already signed the new aviation fuel supply contract with Shell & MOH Aviation. Under the terms of the contract, the price per tonne is similar to that of the previous supplier.

Grain carriers with loads of more than 50 tonnes have been caught, while up to 40 tonnes are allowed

The Department of Transport and Communications has been recognised in the Annual Road Safety Awards. The award in the category ‘Road Safety Initiatives by State Administrations’ was presented to Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov for the implementation of the air ambulance system in Bulgaria.

‘Road safety is a priority for society and our main task. Everyone can contribute to this great goal of reducing road casualties. This is also achieved through education, which starts at home,’ Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov said.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov signed today a contract for the delivery of 9 electric shunting locomotives, which will be purchased with funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Burgas region has the potential to be an economic hub on the Balkans. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Anna Natova at the opening of the third edition of the National Forum on Air Transport Connectivity and New Opportunities for Tourism and Partnerships in the Black Sea Region and Southeast Bulgaria.

The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov and the Minister of Civil Aviation of Egypt Mohamed Abbas Helmi discussed the signing of a new Air Transport Agreement. Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov and Deputy Minister Anna Mihneva-Natova are part of the delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel, which is visiting the Arab country today.

UMBAL Sveta Ekaterina is the second hospital in the capital to have a registered hospital heliport. This is the first medical facility to have a rooftop heliport. The Director General of DG Civil Aviation Administration Anelia Marinova handed over today the registration documents to the Executive Director of the hospital Prof. Dr. Dimitar Petkov.

Ministers and cabinet members paid their respects at the memorial plaque of the Belene camp

Ministers and members of the Cabinet, representatives of local authorities and the community visited the former Belene camp to pay their respects on today's Day of Appreciation and Tribute to the Victims of the Communist Regime.

The initiative for the honorary act in the concentration camp was taken by the Ministers of Environment and Water Julian Popov, of Justice Atanas Slavov and of Culture Krastyu Krastev.

Bulgaria and Romania prepared a joint project to improve navigation on the Danube. The FAST Danube 2 project, which was submitted today for funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, foresees the implementation of engineering measures in the common section of the river that will improve navigation conditions and traffic safety.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov met with representatives of the Association ‘I Have a Truck’. During the talks current issues in the field of road freight transport were discussed, related to the toll system and problems in crossing the two bridges over the Danube. The measures taken so far and the possibilities to facilitate the passage of trucks through the border crossing points were discussed.

This year Bulgaria will be the chair of the Regional Advisory Committee for Civil Aviation Search and Rescue (RASARAC). DG Civil Aviation Administration today took over the rotating chairmanship of the Committee from the Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The Presidency will organise and hold meetings of the Management Board and expert working groups to address issues related to cross-border cooperation, operational procedures and agreements, training and preparation, and search and rescue oversight.

Thanks to the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sofia, the project was implemented in less than 3 months.