Deputy Minister Desislava Georgieva: Klepallo border crossing between Berovo and Strumyani will be built by the end of 2029

The technical project for the construction of the missing 8 km of the road between Strumyani and the Klepallo Border Crossing Point is expected to be ready within a month, after which the activities for the actual construction of the point and the entire incoming infrastructure will begin. This was announced in Blagoevgrad by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Desislava Georgieva at a press conference on the project ‘Construction of a new Strumyani-Berovo border checkpoint (Klepalo) between Bulgaria and North Macedonia’, organised by the regional governor Vasil Trendafilov. It was also attended by mayors from the region, experts from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Customs Agency, representatives of regional state structures, etc.

Deputy Minister Georgieva reminded that in April the environmental procedures for the point were approved, giving a "green light" for the construction of the facilities of the border facility, the related infrastructure and the bringing road III-1008 from Strumyani to the border, with the procuring entities Regional Administration Blagoevgrad and the Road Infrastructure Agency. Option 1 has been approved for the route, which provides for a shorter passage, lower volume of construction works and limited environmental impact, in line with the nature protection requirements in the Kresna-Ilindentsi Natura 2000 site, to which part of the site belongs. "This is an important strategic project for the whole border region. It will be implemented with EUR 11 million from the INTERREG VI-A IPA Programme Bulgaria and North Macedonia 2021-2027, which is 30% of its total budget", Georgieva further said. The Deputy Minister added that the new border transition will contribute to the cohesion of communities on both sides of the border, will have added value for business and will lead to the development of tourism. “We are convinced of the usefulness of this type of investment. It is very important for us that all environmental procedures and legal requirements of the European Commission are complied with", the Regional Deputy Minister further said. Desislava Georgieva added that at the moment the schedule is strictly adhered to and all institutions are mobilized as much as possible. The point is expected to be completed by the end of 2029. Additional sources of funding for the road link are also sought, as it relies on funds from the state budget. “If we keep the pace, we will deal with the deadline,” stressed the regional deputy minister.

The Strumyani-Berovo border crossing will provide a link between the international transport corridors 4 and 8. The project envisages to have service buildings in both Bulgaria and North Macedonia for the passage of passenger and freight vehicles up to 3.5 tons. The station will be open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The future site covers an area of 11 acres at 1300 meters above sea level on a steep skate, making the construction a challenge for the contractors.

The new bilateral border crossing point, which will be located on the territory of the municipalities of Strumyani and Berovo, is a strategic project under Priority 2 ‘A more connected cross-border region’ of the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria-North Macedonia Programme managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. The lead partner is the Blagoevgrad Regional Administration, which has been designated as a beneficiary by a decision of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria, while a partner on the part of the Republic of North Macedonia is the Customs Department. The CBC programme between Bulgaria and North Macedonia is being implemented at an excellent pace. With the signed contracts in the last month, 108% of the funds under the program have already been contracted. This is more than 29 million euros, which, in addition to the border crossing, is invested in green infrastructure in cities and supports small and medium-sized businesses. Over 22% were paid, which is over 6 million euro. and relies on the mobilization of all beneficiaries for successful management.