Bulgaria, Romania seek extension of EU infrastructure aid

(SOFIA) - Bulgaria and Romania asked the EU on Friday for a one-year extension to 200 million euros (272 million dollars) of aid for key infrastructure projects, including the construction of a new bridge over the Danube.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said he and his Romanian counterpart Emil Bok had signed a joint request to the European Commission in Brussels for an extension of the payment deadlines for projects being funded by the EU's ISPA infrastructure fund.

These include 70 million euros in aid for the construction of a second bridge over the Danube river which forms a border between the two countries.

There is already an existing bridge linking the towns of Ruse in Bulgaria and Guyrguy in Romania. A second one is being built between the towns of Vidin in Bulgaria and Kalafat in Romania.

It is 1.9 kilometres (1.2 miles) long and comprises four road lanes and a rail link and is being built by the Spanish company, FCC Construccion.

So far, building has been delayed by 14 months and Bulgaria hopes it will now be ready by end-2011.

But this could mean it misses the current end-2010 deadline for ISPA projects.

The two leaders are hoping for a "positive answer" from Brussels, warning that the conclusion of a number of other major infrastructure projects would similarly be jeopardised.

"We hope we'll be able to secure the money, which is in the interest of both countries," Romanian premier Bok said.

The two leaders visited the site of the new bridge via helicopter on Friday. ds/spm/hd