Corridor VIII is a European project and one of the main transport routes running east to west across the Balkans. It aims to establish a connection between the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea, passing through Italy, Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
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The project envisages the construction of new roads, as well as improvements to the existing road and railway infrastructure.
During the International Conference on Corridor VIII, held in Sofia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Glauk Konjufca, called for Kosovo to become a fully integrated part of this network.
According to him, regional connectivity is not linked solely to economic needs, but is also of direct importance to strategic security.
“I emphasized the need for Kosovo’s full inclusion in this network. Our investments in Railway Line 10 and the planned Pristina-Durrës railway will improve regional connections, create diversified transport routes and strengthen the Euro-Atlantic security architecture in the Western Balkans. A stable and connected Western Balkans requires unhindered cooperation and Kosovo’s full inclusion,” Konjufca wrote on X.
The minister also raised concerns about Serbia’s continued obstruction of electricity exchanges with Kosovo. He said that this situation harms the region’s energy security and called for decisive intervention by Europe to ensure compliance with existing obligations, KosovaPress reports.
On Bulgarian territory, Corridor VIII runs from the Gyueshevo area toward Pernik, Sofia and Plovdiv, before continuing toward Burgas and Varna. One of the main sections still missing for its completion is the railway connection between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, via Gyueshevo and Kriva Palanka.
Corridor VIII is part of the European TEN-T transport network and is seen as a strategically important hub for trade, movement and connectivity in Southeastern Europe. Its completion is expected to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the Adriatic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as strengthen transport integration in the region.
