To date, Corridor No. 8 depends on the willingness and political will of North Macedonia. The agreement for the management of the joint facility—the cross-border railway tunnel—has been sent to Skopje, but has been awaiting their approval for three months, Deputy Premier and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov said in an interview with bTV.

• Bulgaria sends North Macedonia a draft agreement for a railway tunnel connecting the two countries

"That's why we gathered all the EU and NATO diplomats—because this is also a NATO corridor", Grozdan Karadjov explained. "It starts in Italy, passes through Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, and reaches the Black Sea. We presented the issue to them. If the agreement is signed, there will be a Corridor No. 8. We asked the ambassadors to apply pressure so it becomes clear whether Skopje will sign the agreement—so we know whether we will be working on Corridor No. 8 or just talking about it", Deputy Premier Karadjov said further.

• Bulgarian Ministry of Transport confirms priority of Corridor No. 8 connecting the Adriatic with the Black Sea

• Foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Albania reaffirm support for accelerated construction of Corridor 8