The Modernisation of the Ports of Varna and Burgas and the Doubling of Rail and Road Capacity Towards Türkiye Will Significantly Improve Connectivity

The modernisation of the ports of Varna and Burgas, together with the doubling of rail and road infrastructure capacity towards Türkiye, will significantly improve Bulgaria’s connectivity with the Black Sea region, the Caucasus and Asia. This became clear during the meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev and the Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA, Jasurbek Choriyev, held at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The head of the European Union’s Programme for the Development of the Europe–Caucasus–Asia Transport Corridor is on a regional visit thatalso includes Bulgaria.

Minister Peev emphasized that Bulgaria is working intensively on transport sector priorities that it shares with TRACECA. One of them is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor. 

Bulgaria’s geographical position on the Black Sea creates the conditions for the country to play a significant role and its ports to establish themselves as strategic gateways for trade flows in the region, Minister Peev pointed out. According to him, the two Bulgarian ports can significantly develop TRACECA’s potential by providing fast and reliable maritime transport between the countries.

“We attach great importance to regional connectivity and to links with international transport corridors that facilitate the transportof goods through Bulgaria in both the north–south and east–west directions,” Georgi Peev stressed.

TRACECA Secretary General Jasurbek Choriyev stated that over the next 10-year period, Europe could invest EUR 10 billion in transport connectivity. He also announced that TRACECA is preparing a new digital map of projects and asked Bulgaria to provide the strategic projects announced by the government, as well as those for which an action plan was signed in Brussels.

Prior to the discussions, a working meeting was held with representatives of the companies and agencies within the system of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, who briefed TRACECA Secretary General Jasurbek Choriyev on the main transport projects conducted on Bulgarian territory.