Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov accuses Romania of obstructing the construction of new bridges and ferry connections, citing conditions related to the dredging of the Danube.

During a visit to Ruse, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Grozdan Karadjov accused the Romanian authorities of obstructing the construction of new bridges and ferry connections, mentioning that Romania conditions the start of these projects on Bulgaria dredging the Danube. Karadjov emphasized that, despite the efforts of Bulgaria and the European Commission, Romania remains reluctant in expanding connectivity, limiting itself to the Ruse-Giurgiu point. He also mentioned that the procedures for building a third bridge near Ruse are delayed, and the ferry line could take on a significant portion of traffic, but cooperation is insufficient.

In April 2025, Bulgaria made progress in dredging the Danube, responding to an old request from Romania. The Bulgarian government approved an agreement to launch joint public procurement procedures under the FAST Danube 2 project, aimed at improving navigation conditions. The project, worth 230 million euros, focuses on environmental monitoring and infrastructure construction, but Bulgaria's delays affect the use of the European Union's inland waterway transport axis. Romania has already started dredging in the Bulgarian sector, with the agreement of the Bulgarian authorities, to prevent traffic jams.