site.btaPort of Burgas CEO: Growing Amounts of Transport Funding Available

Transport cohesion funding for Bulgaria for the new programming period from 2021 to 2027 is over BGN 2 billion, which is the largest amount so far; it includes BGN 1.6 billion in EU money, Port of Burgas CEO Diyan Dimov said on Tuesday, addressing the first regional conference of a new EU-backed BTA project titled Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future, which is taking place in Burgas.

Dimov noted that, as the war in Ukraine rumbles on, it is becoming clear that Bulgaria's port infrastructure is unprepared for the new cargo flows and the challenges which have emerged in the region. "The last year has shown that Bulgaria's ports have no capacity to take on additional cargo due to insufficient port infrastructure and adjoining facilities," he said. Therefore, he added, the Transport Ministry has set itself ambitious goals. Over the last few months, the ministry has been working to get Varna included in the main Transeuropean network.

"There is a lot of transit cargo which no one can take on. This has to do with the railway link between Burgas and Serbia, where there are a few problematic sections," Dimov said. To remedy the situation, the authorities have launched a number of procedures which are at an advanced stage, he said.

According to Dimov, digitization and environmental protection are among the top priorities concerning Bulgarian ports. He expressed hope that the achievements of the last two years will be multiplied.