“Corridor VIII is not merely an investment. It is a strategic necessity.”

This was stated by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Elisa Spiropali, at the Corridor VIII Ministerial held on 18 February 2026, in Tirana.

Minister Spiropali delivered her speech at the opening of the Plenary session, attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Timčho Mucunski, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, Nikolay Pavlov, and the Ambassador of Romania to Albania, Octavian Şerban.

“It is a pleasure to have you here today, at a meeting that is not simply about a line drawn on a map, but about shaping the future of our region. Corridor VIII represents the missing East–West connection in the Western Balkans. It links the Adriatic to the Black Sea, markets to markets, and our region to the heart of Europe. Two thousand years ago, the Via Egnatia accomplished exactly this: it connected ports, cities, and people within the same geographical space. Today, we are not inventing something new. We are simply completing a task that history has already assigned to us: making this part of Europe truly interconnected,” said Spiropali.

Connectivity, the Foreign Minister added, is not only about roads and railways.

“Connectivity means opportunity. It means resilience. And in today’s Europe, it also implies security,” emphasized Spiropali.

The Minister noted that “throughout the country, the corridor is at the center of our national transport strategy” and that “Albania is becoming one of the most reliable hubs of this project.”

“We have a portfolio of priority projects worth over two billion euros, most of which are already ready for implementation. In the railway sector, the Durrës–Rrogozhinë line is advancing with European funding. Engineering works for the subsequent segment toward Pogradec have begun. Meanwhile, the new railway line connecting Tirana with Durrës and the airport is in the final construction phase. In the road sector, the main segments from the port to the eastern border are either under construction or in advanced preparatory stages. In the energy sector, the 400 kV interconnection with North Macedonia, following the corridor route, is nearing completion. Thus, the western gateway of Corridor VIII is no longer just an idea. It is a package of concrete projects on the ground, with financing, contracts, and defined timelines,” she stated.

Spiropali also highlighted the importance of Corridor VIII as a strategic asset for European interoperability and security.

“Roads, railways, ports, and energy links are strategic assets. Corridor VIII is the only true East–West axis in Southeastern Europe. It connects the Adriatic with the Black Sea through our countries, all of which are NATO members. This gives the corridor a second, highly practical dimension. It is not only an economic and integration project; it is also an interoperability corridor. It enables allied forces, equipment, and supplies to move faster and more predictably across the region, strengthening the security architecture of the Alliance’s southern flank. Only a few days ago, at NATO’s Defence Ministerial, the strategic importance of military mobility in the southeastern flank was reaffirmed, allowing the dual-use potential of Corridor VIII to advance through joint Alliance funding. In this sense, Corridor VIII contributes not only to trade and economic growth but also to collective defence, resilience, and stability in the wider Black Sea and Mediterranean area,” declared Spiropali.

The Minister also addressed the need to integrate all segments of the Corridor into the European transport network.

“As long as key segments of Corridor VIII remain outside the TEN-T core network, the corridor cannot attract the level of funding and political priority it deserves. It remains strategically important, but financially secondary. Therefore, the next step is clear. Corridor VIII must be recognized within the TEN-T core network. This decision would unlock financing, synchronize investments, and make this corridor a genuine European priority. This is not a matter of special treatment; it is a matter of strategic logic. Europe cannot speak of resilience, enlargement, and strategic autonomy while leaving its only southern East–West axis outside its core transport network.”

Spiropali emphasized that the next phase of the project must be practical, aimed at making Corridor VIII a functional European artery.

“We need synchronized timelines between countries.

We need interoperable technical standards.

We need faster border procedures.

And we need coordinated financing from European instruments and international financial institutions.

Corridor VIII is also one of the most concrete ways to bring our region closer to the European Union. It shortens distances. Reduces costs. Connects businesses, labor, and markets. And transforms geography into opportunity.

For our region, this is not merely a transport project. It is a political statement. It signals that the Adriatic and Black Seas are not the peripheries of Europe, but its gateways,” – concluded Spiropali.