The reconstruction of the railway line between Istanbul and the Kapikule border checkpoint on the border with Bulgaria, which began in 2014, has been completed and it is expected that the rail link between Turkey's largest city and the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia will be opened on February 20, the Anadolu agency reported.
After the reconstruction the travel time from Istanbul to Sofia will be reduced to about 10 hours. By car the same distance takes about six hours. Buses cover the distance for nine hours and a flight takes an hour and a half.
To the express train from Istanbul to Sofia additional coaches will be added, as they are to reach the Romanian capital city of Bucharest and Serbian Belgrade, it was reported.
Plovdiv will offer concerts, bazaars and an ice park for the Christmas and New Year holidays to its citizens and guests, the municipality has announced. Mayor Kostadin Dimitrov will light the Christmas tree in front of the Plovdiv Municipality..
On Thursday, minimum temperatures will range from 3° to 19°C, with eastern areas reaching 15–19°C and Sofia around 6°C. The day will be cloudy with widespread rain. Heavy rainfall is expected in western regions overnight and in central and southern..
“Solutions for achieving peace in Ukraine must be based on fundamental principles of the UN Charter, such as sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.” This was stated by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev at the informal video..
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