SOFIA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria would ask the European Union (EU) for 2.1 billion U.S. dollars to improve road safety infrastructure, the country's Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov said here on Tuesday.
The money would be spent during the 2020-2030 period, Nankov said while addressing the International Conference on Road Safety, which was held under the patronage of his ministry under the aegis of the country's presidency of the Council of the EU.
Since 2007, Bulgaria has invested nearly 420 million dollars to improve the road safety infrastructure including in the locations with high concentration of road accidents, the minister said.
However, approximately 8,000 km of national roads and 12,000 km of municipal roads needed urgent comprehensive rehabilitation, Nankov said.
Bulgaria ranks first in road accident deaths in the EU per million inhabitants. In 2016, the number of road accident deaths in the Balkan country was 99, while the average in the EU was 50.
