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Romanian-Bulgarian memorandum on building two new bridge over the Danube signed in Bucharest
Continuing to develop joint cross-border infrastructure projects is an important step in the development of southern Romania and northern Bulgaria, as well as an example for cooperation between the two EU member states and NATO allies, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Tuesday at the end of a signing ceremony at the Government House of a Romanian-Bulgarian memorandum on building two new bridge over the Danube.
Signing the document on behalf of the Romanian Government was Development Minister Liviu Dragnea, while signing it on behalf of the Bulgarian Government was Transport Minister Nikolina Angelkova.
'I know that you have worked a lot on these two projects and generally for the development of cross-border relations between Bulgaria and Romania. Southern Romania and northern Bulgaria badly need infrastructure works, and these works can be completed by accessing European funds and national resources, but particularly through cooperation between the two countries. Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union together, they are NATO allies and they are also neighbours that have many things and projects in common. The most important thing now is for us to develop the cross-border projects, and the memorandum signed today is one of the most important in this respect,' Ponta said at the end of the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding between the Romanian government and the Bulgarian Government on implementing feasibility studies concerning the construction of new bridges over the Danube.
Ponta wished the two ministers good luck with project implementation, mentioning the construction of other bridges over the Danube as well.
'Only two events of the same significance like the opening of the two bridges have so far happened in history. In 1954, the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge, and in 2013 I was honoured to open, together with the Bulgarian prime minister, the Calafat-Vidin Bridge. I was saying back then that 2,000 years previously Apollodorus of Damascus had built a bridge over the Danube in one year. It took us 13 years for the Calafat-Vidin Bridge. (...) Mrs Minister and Mr Minister are optimistic and they say two years, I say three years to open the bridge. And I am kindly asking the two ministers to invite us for the inauguration,' said Ponta.
Development Minister Dragnea said in his turn that the memorandum with Bulgaria is an important document in the relationship between the two countries, important to southern Romania and northern Bulgaria.
'This is a document under which the two countries undertake to start construction of two new bridges over the Danube: a first one, the Turnu Magurele - Nikopole Bridge, and a second one, from Calarasi, Romania, to Silistra, Bulgaria. I have met up with Mrs Minister for two years to agree on cooperation projects for the common Danube infrastructure and the area related to the Danube. One year ago, we decided to commission a feasibility study to tell us what the best locations are for the two bridges, and following the findings of the studies we opted for two locations: Turnu Magurele - Nikopole and Calarasi - Silistra. The two national governments last week approved a memorandum that was the basis for the signing of this document. Next week, we will select members from the two countries for a working group to work out the technical and economic details, and find funding sources,' said Dragnea.
The Bulgarian transport minister said that at the same time with the two-year works under this joint project, concrete steps are being taken to draw up and even more important project, for long-term cooperation between Bulgaria and Romania.
'By signing this memorandum today, we are laying the foundations for the achievement of the two bridges and also for long-term cooperation between the two countries,' said Angelkova.