A pre-investment study for the Sofia-Kulata-Promahon-Solun railway line will be a strategic project in the new cross-border cooperation programme between Bulgaria and Greece

The first meeting of the Joint Committee for the preparation of the Bulgaria-Greece Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 was held today.

Preparation of a pre-investment study for the Sofia-Kulata-Promahon-Thessaloniki railway line will be a strategic project in the Bulgaria-Greece Cross-border Cooperation Programme for the period 2021-2027.  This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Denitsa Nikolova during an online meeting of the Joint Committee for the preparation of the new programming period 2021-2027.

Deputy Minister Nikolova said that she welcomed the proposal to increase the share for strategic projects from 30% to 50% and pointed out that financing such projects is one of the main objectives of the programme.  The second important focus is the direct support to small and medium-sized enterprises in the cross-border area, as they are the backbone of the region's economy.  It is also important to meet the needs of businesses for quick and easy application procedures, the Deputy Regional Minister stressed. Small and medium-sized enterprises require a tailor-made approach, which the new INTERREG regulation provides in the form of the Small Project Fund.

The participants agreed that the future CBC programme should focus on the specific needs and potential of each region with the increased involvement of local stakeholders, which will help to reduce imbalances, raise living standards and stimulate economic development.

As in the previous programming period, on the Bulgarian side the programme will cover the districts of Haskovo, Smolyan, Kardzhali and Blagoevgrad, and on the territory of the Republic of Greece - the prefectures of Evros, Xanthi, Rhodope, Drama, Kavala, Thessaloniki and Serres.