Sofia, 19 October 2021 (MIA) – The transport ministers of North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania, Blagoj Bochvarski, Hristo Aleksiev and Belinda Balluku respectively, signed Tuesday a memorandum of understanding for the construction of Corridor VIII. This document sets out clear dates for the development of these three countries and their activities related to Corridor VIII. After the signing, Bochvarski said that Skopje is dedicated to the construction of the infrastructural projects, and that EUR 2.7 billion will be invested in development under the six-year government strategy, reports to MIA’s Sofia correspondent. North Macedonia plans to invest EUR 200 million in the first quarter of 2022 to build Corridor VIII’s railroad network to Bulgaria. The government has secured funds for the first two sections, with funds still pending for the third section from Kriva Palanka to Deve Bair, which will cost EUR 400 million. EUR 90 million have been secured for the construction of the Kumanovo-Deve Bair expressway towards Bulgaria. Bochvarski says that the entire track of Corridor VIII on the territory of North Macedonia will be completed by 2030, maybe even sooner. There is a project prepared for the railway section from Kichevo to the border with Albania, but opportunities to find funding are still being sought. The North Macedonia-Albania track is 70 km long. Aleksiev believes that Corridor VIII will be built by 2030. He announced that Bulgaria will start the tender to build the railroad section between Pernik and Radomir next week, and the other section from Radomir to Gjueshevo, for which there is already a technical project, will be built in 2022. According to initial estimates, this section will cost EUR 200 million. Bulgaria and North Macedonia are working together on the border tunnel as well. As Belinda Ballaku says, Albania is working hard to build a road to the border with North Macedonia, as well as a special pier for Corridor VIII. The three ministers agree that Corridor VIII’s strategic significance lies in more than just their economies, but also in the better connectivity of the Balkans to Western Europe, the Black Sea and other European partners. dk/ba/