Ponta said the Calafat-Vidin bridge will be called the “New Europe” and pointed out he had discussed this aspect with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev at the latest European Council meeting.
Ponta also said Friday that Romania and Bulgaria ought to learn to work more efficiently on large projects. He added he is hoping the two countries will join the border-free Schengen area.
Oresharski, in turn, said such projects stand as proof of good relations between countries and people and they can stimulate Romania and Bulgaria’s economic growth.
The inauguration ceremony was attended, among others, by Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isarescu and by the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn, as the project also received EU financing.
In 2000, Romania and Bulgaria signed an agreement to build a second bridge, between Calafat and Vidin, but the project has been delayed because of funding issues.
The 1,791-meter Calafat-Vidin bridge is part of Pan-European Corridor IV linking Dresden (Germany) to Istanbul (Turkey).
Construction costs reached almost EUR300 million. According to Transport Ministry data, Romania secured some EUR72.5 million, of which EUR36.6 million came from the state budget and the remainder from EU pre-accession funds.
Bulgaria contributed approximately EUR226 million, with EUR61 million coming from the state budget and the remainder from EU pre-accession funds, the European Investment Bank, the French Development Agency and German bank KfW.