EU bigwigs push Danube bridges as region lags

Bulgaria’s deputy prime minister told European transport officials on Tuesday that building additional bridges across the Danube River represents more than just a regional concern between his country and Romania. Grozdan Karadjov, who also serves as minister of transport and communications, described the infrastructure expansion as vital to European Union economic growth and NATO security during talks with two corridor coordinators visiting Sofia. The officials met to finalize a trilateral agreement among Bulgaria, Greece and Romania expected to receive signatures before January.

Karadjov identified three bridge projects as national priorities: accelerating construction on a third span and securing commitments for crossings linking Silistra with Kalaraş and Nikopol with Turnu Magurele. European Commission coordinator Margarita Marquez said the projects could draw resources from both the Connecting Europe Facility and Cohesion Fund programs. She pointed out that communities along the waterway rank among the least developed areas in the union and would benefit substantially from improved connections.

Mario Mauro, who coordinates the Baltic-Black Sea-Aegean corridor, rejected the notion that Bulgaria occupies a marginal position in Europe. He characterized the upcoming memorandum as only an initial step toward extensive regional collaboration.