Bulgaria, Ukraine discuss restoring rail link
The restoration of the railway connection between Bulgaria and Ukraine and the opening of new opportunities for freight transport and expansion of logistics routes in Eastern and Southeastern Europe were discussed at a meeting between caretaker Transport and Communications Minister Korman Ismailov and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk, the Transport Ministry of Bulgaria said in a press release.
Addressing the meeting, Ismailov said that Bulgarian State Railways is ready to carry out freight transport between Bulgaria and Ukraine, including transit through Romania. According to him, specific steps will be discussed at a next meeting of deputy ministers from the three countries, CE Report quotes BTA.
The Transport Minister indicated that the projects for transport connectivity between the Black and Aegean Seas, enshrined in a memorandum between Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, will strengthen not only regional security, but also the sustainability of European transport. Ismailov also said that Bulgaria will continue to support Ukraine for more effective transport connections and development of logistics routes.
Ambassador Ilashchuk said that Ukraine supports the initiative and sees significant potential to participate in it. She also noted that Bulgaria's experience in negotiations with the European Union is valuable for Ukraine in the process of preparing to meet the accession criteria.
During the meeting, Ismailov raised the issue of complaints from Bulgarian carriers regarding the registration of Bulgarian buses in the electronic queue system eCherga [eQueue], when the vehicles are not located on Ukrainian territory. The ministry recalled that the platform for booking time slots for passing through the border checkpoints of Ukraine was introduced in 2024, and according to Bulgarian companies, the specifics of the system make it difficult to carry out passenger transportation. Ambassador Ilashchuk said that owners of Ukrainian vehicles encounter difficulties with technical inspections on Bulgarian territory.
At the beginning of 2026, the first working meeting between Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the European Commission on the Black Sea-Aegean Corridor was held. The main idea was for the three countries to work together in the planning, design, and issuing of permits and the implementation of infrastructure projects in order to avoid delays, interruptions and bureaucratic obstacles.
