Minister Naydenov discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey during a visit to our neighboring country

The Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Naydenov participated in the 17th edition of the European Congress of ITS 2026 in Istanbul. The event is key in the field of smart mobility and smart transport, where experts, researchers and public authorities come together to present real solutions, innovations and technologies.

Within the congress, Minister Naydenov held a working meeting with the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Omer Sayan. The two discussed the possibilities for improving the cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkey in the field of infrastructure. Both sides expressed readiness to deepen work to increase transport permeability and connectivity between the two sides on the South-North axis, through the opportunity that the construction of the Black Sea motorway would offer.
During the event, Minister Naydenov also met with Mehmet Turhan, CEO of the company that built and manages the new North Marmara Motorway, and his team. The motorway, which uses ITS technology to operate, also includes the newly built third bridge over the Bosphorus, the Yavuz Sultan Selim, which is one of the highest bridges in the world. During the meeting, the Turkish side expressed readiness to share experience in the construction and management of such large infrastructure projects.