“The North-South connection plays a key role for the sustainable infrastructure and connectivity in Southeastern Europe via the construction of a motorway linking Greece with Romania via Bulgaria. We are hoping the procedures will be concluded as soon as possible and the project will be completed within 5 years,” said Bulgaria’s Finance Minister Assen Vassilev at an international Southeast Europe Connectivity Forum in Thessaloniki. “With the motorway providing an outlet for Bulgarian ports to the Mediterranean, connectivity will be completely fully,” Minister Vassilev explained and added that the old road connecting the Northern countries via the Balkans ran between Vienna and Istanbul, and that today a new North-South connection to the Mediterranean is needed. A EUR 6 billion guarantee is set down in the budget for this corridor, a contractor is expected to be selected to handle the construction work, Assen Vassilev said.