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{{Short description|Infrastructure project}}
The '''Morava-Vardar Canal''' is a proposed infrastructure project, linking the ] river valley in Macedonia with the ] valley in Serbia. The '''Morava-Vardar Canal''' is a proposed infrastructure project, linking the ] river valley in ] with the ] valley in ]. This waterway will allow linking the Danube basin countries to the ].


==Route== ==Route==
] ]
The proposed 651km route would link the Danube, via the Morava River, in Serbia with a canal across the border into Macedonia, connecting with the Vardar river, which flows into the ] near Thessaloniki. In addition to the new canal itself, long stretches of river would need navigation improvements. Currently, only the lowest 3km of the Morava are navigable. The proposed 651 km route would link the Danube, via the Morava River in Serbia, to a 20 km canal across the border into ], connecting with the Vardar River, which flows into the ] near ]. In addition to the canal, long stretches of river would need navigation improvements. Currently, only the lowest three km of the Morava are navigable.

For shipping between the Aegean Sea and central Europe, this route would be 1,200&nbsp;km shorter than the current passage via the ], ], and lower ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dumitrescu |first1=George Cornel |title=Central and Eastern European Countries Focus on the Silk Road Economic Belt |journal=Global Economic Observer |date=2015 |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=186–197 |id={{ProQuest|1690236357}} |url=http://www.globeco.ro/wp-content/uploads/vol/split/vol_3_no_1/geo_2015_vol3_no1_art_018.pdf }}</ref>


==Planning== ==Planning==
Detailed plans were drafted by the ] government in 1941,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Die Wasserstraßen des Donaugebietes und der Nahe Osten |date=1941 |trans-title=The waterways of the Danube region and the Middle East |language=de }}</ref> in conjunction with navigation improvements on the Drava, Tisa, Begej, and Sava rivers, along with a Danube-Sava Canal.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
In 2012, the Serbian Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said that the project would be completed within eight years.<ref>Vecernje Novosti, August 2012</ref> In 2013, the director of Serbia’s State Agency for Physical Planning said that it was a realistic project and work would start shortly, with the Chinese government-owned ].<ref>https://balkaninsight.com/2013/09/26/chinese-investors-give-green-light-for-balkan-channel/</ref>


Since World War 2, there have been a series of Serbian initiatives, hoping to build a Morava-Vardar Canal, with proposals and studies in 1961, 1964, 1966, 1973, and 1973–1980.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hussain |first1=Nasir |last2=Popović |first2=Dejana Jovanović |last3=Milinčić |first3=Miroljub |title=Modelling the environmental concerns of constructing the Danube-Morava-Vardar-Thessaloniki Canal using General Morphological Analysis |journal=Journal of Sustainable Development of Transport and Logistics |date=May 2019 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=6–16 |doi=10.14254/jsdtl.2019.4-1.1 |s2cid=210632950 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Subsequently, In 2012, the Serbian Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said that the project would be completed within eight years.<ref>{{cite news |title=Танјуг: Милан Бачевић: Канал Дунав-Морава-Вардар највећи стратешки пројекат |trans-title=Milan Bačević: The Danube-Morava-Vardar canal is the biggest strategic project |url=http://www.nspm.rs/hronika/milan-bacevic-kanal-dunav-morava-vardar-najveci-strateski-projekat.html |work=Нова српска политичка мисао |date=11 August 2012 |language=sr-rs }}</ref> In 2013, the director of Serbia's State Agency for Physical Planning said that it was a realistic project and work would start shortly, with the Chinese government-owned Gezhouba Group Corporation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chinese Investors Warm to Balkan Waterway |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2013/09/26/chinese-investors-give-green-light-for-balkan-channel/ |work=Balkan Insight |date=26 September 2013 }}</ref> This was one of the most important projects for the Government of Serbia at the time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stepić |first1=Milomir |last2=Dragićević |first2=Slavoljub |title=Belgrade Confluence: Geographical Predispositions and Geopolitical Significance |journal=Serbian Political Thought |date=2014 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=49–65 |doi=10.22182/spt.912014.3 }}</ref>
⚫ ] published a Chinese-backed proposal in 2017: A 651km route (including new canal and improved river navigation), expected to cost €17 billion.<ref>http://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/2017/08/28/20002-20170828ARTFIG00226-athenes-et-belgrade-sollicitent-pekin-pour-relier-le-danube-a-la-mer-egee.php</ref> The mayor of ] called it a "dream".<ref>https://seenews.com/news/chinese-investors-eye-17-bln-euro-waterway-project-in-see-report-594621</ref>. As of 2018, one major obstacle to Serb proposals was the lack of intergovernmental agreements between Greece, Macedonia, and Serbia, although the route would not pass through Kosovo; also, joint financing with the ] appears unlikely.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330255638_The_idea_of_Morava-Vardar_water_canal_and_its_long-term_geopolitical_context/fulltext/5c35ffafa6fdccd6b59ef036/The-idea-of-Morava-Vardar-water-canal-and-its-long-term-geopolitical-context.pdf</ref>


⚫ ] published a Chinese-backed proposal in 2017: A 651&nbsp;km route (including new canal and improved river navigation), expected to cost €17 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kefalas |first1=Alexia |title=Athènes et Belgrade sollicitent Pékin pour relier le Danube à la mer Égée |trans-title=Athens and Belgrade ask Beijing to link the Danube to the Aegean Sea |language=fr |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/conjoncture/2017/08/28/20002-20170828ARTFIG00226-athenes-et-belgrade-sollicitent-pekin-pour-relier-le-danube-a-la-mer-egee.php |work=Lefigaro |date=28 August 2017 }}</ref> The mayor of ] called it a "dream".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ralev |first1=Radomir |title=Chinese investors eye 17 bln euro waterway project in SEE - report |url=https://seenews.com/news/chinese-investors-eye-17-bln-euro-waterway-project-in-see-report-594621 |work=SeeNews |date=14 December 2017 }}</ref> As of 2018, one major obstacle to Serb proposals was the lack of intergovernmental agreements between Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia; also, joint financing with the ] appears unlikely.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ejupi |first1=Arsim |title=The idea of Morava-Vardar water canal and its long-term geopolitical context |journal=GeoScape |date=December 2018 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=84–91 |doi=10.2478/geosc-2018-0009 |s2cid=133994748 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
⚫ {{As of|August 2023}}, no construction has started.


⚫ As of July 2023, no construction has started.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
There are proposals to develop railways in the area, which would complement the canal.<ref>https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/04/29/thessaloniki-balkan-maritime/</ref>


There are proposals to develop railways in the area, which would complement the canal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Antonopoulos |first1=Paul |title=Thessaloniki positioning to become Balkan maritime gateway, bypassing Turkey and Danube Delta |url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/04/29/thessaloniki-balkan-maritime/ |work=Greek City Times |date=29 April 2021 }}</ref> There would be a strong stimulus to investment, especially in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=MIleski |first1=Toni |last2=Del Re |first2=Emanuela C. |title=Geopolitical and geostrategic implication of possible navigable channel Danube-Morava-Vardar-Thessalonica |journal=Bezbednosni Dijalozi |date=June 2013 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=51–64 |url=http://periodica.fzf.ukim.edu.mk/sd/SD%2004.1%20(2013)/SD%2004.1.06%20Mileski,%20T.%20and%20del%20Re,%20E.%20-%20GEOPOLITICAL%20AND%20GEOSTRATEGIC%20IMPLICATION.pdf |oclc=9118273531 }}</ref>
==Further Reading==

*
==See also==
⚫ *

* ]
*]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist}}

==External links==
⚫ *
* {{cite journal |last1=Демидов |first1=Антон Петрович |title=Участие Сербии в реализации инфраструктурных проектов, связывающих ее с Адриатикой и Средиземноморьем |trans-title=Participation of Serbia in Infrastructural Projects Connecting it with the Adriatic and the Mediterranean |language=sr |journal=Проблемы национальной стратегии |issue=4 |date=2021 |pages=98–113 |doi=10.52311/2079-3359_2021_4_98 |url=https://riss.ru/upload/iblock/003/942le857ulocbh9uyghs69xlrwur3qxc/journal_214_67_04.pdf }}


] ]

Latest revision as of 11:00, 9 September 2024

Infrastructure project

The Morava-Vardar Canal is a proposed infrastructure project, linking the Vardar river valley in North Macedonia with the Morava river valley in Serbia. This waterway will allow linking the Danube basin countries to the Mediterranean Sea.

Route

The proposed 651 km route would link the Danube, via the Morava River in Serbia, to a 20 km canal across the border into North Macedonia, connecting with the Vardar River, which flows into the Aegean Sea near Thessaloniki. In addition to the canal, long stretches of river would need navigation improvements. Currently, only the lowest three km of the Morava are navigable.

For shipping between the Aegean Sea and central Europe, this route would be 1,200 km shorter than the current passage via the Bosporus, Black Sea, and lower Danube.

Planning

Detailed plans were drafted by the Nazi government in 1941, in conjunction with navigation improvements on the Drava, Tisa, Begej, and Sava rivers, along with a Danube-Sava Canal.

Since World War 2, there have been a series of Serbian initiatives, hoping to build a Morava-Vardar Canal, with proposals and studies in 1961, 1964, 1966, 1973, and 1973–1980. Subsequently, In 2012, the Serbian Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said that the project would be completed within eight years. In 2013, the director of Serbia's State Agency for Physical Planning said that it was a realistic project and work would start shortly, with the Chinese government-owned Gezhouba Group Corporation. This was one of the most important projects for the Government of Serbia at the time.

Le Figaro published a Chinese-backed proposal in 2017: A 651 km route (including new canal and improved river navigation), expected to cost €17 billion. The mayor of Thessaloniki called it a "dream". As of 2018, one major obstacle to Serb proposals was the lack of intergovernmental agreements between Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia; also, joint financing with the European Union appears unlikely.

As of July 2023, no construction has started.

There are proposals to develop railways in the area, which would complement the canal. There would be a strong stimulus to investment, especially in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania.

See also

References

  1. Dumitrescu, George Cornel (2015). "Central and Eastern European Countries Focus on the Silk Road Economic Belt" (PDF). Global Economic Observer. 3 (1): 186–197. ProQuest 1690236357.
  2. "Die Wasserstraßen des Donaugebietes und der Nahe Osten" [The waterways of the Danube region and the Middle East] (in German). 1941. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Hussain, Nasir; Popović, Dejana Jovanović; Milinčić, Miroljub (May 2019). "Modelling the environmental concerns of constructing the Danube-Morava-Vardar-Thessaloniki Canal using General Morphological Analysis". Journal of Sustainable Development of Transport and Logistics. 4 (1): 6–16. doi:10.14254/jsdtl.2019.4-1.1. S2CID 210632950.
  4. "Танјуг: Милан Бачевић: Канал Дунав-Морава-Вардар највећи стратешки пројекат" [Milan Bačević: The Danube-Morava-Vardar canal is the biggest strategic project]. Нова српска политичка мисао (in Serbian). 11 August 2012.
  5. "Chinese Investors Warm to Balkan Waterway". Balkan Insight. 26 September 2013.
  6. Stepić, Milomir; Dragićević, Slavoljub (2014). "Belgrade Confluence: Geographical Predispositions and Geopolitical Significance". Serbian Political Thought. 9 (1): 49–65. doi:10.22182/spt.912014.3.
  7. Kefalas, Alexia (28 August 2017). "Athènes et Belgrade sollicitent Pékin pour relier le Danube à la mer Égée" [Athens and Belgrade ask Beijing to link the Danube to the Aegean Sea]. Lefigaro (in French).
  8. Ralev, Radomir (14 December 2017). "Chinese investors eye 17 bln euro waterway project in SEE - report". SeeNews.
  9. Ejupi, Arsim (December 2018). "The idea of Morava-Vardar water canal and its long-term geopolitical context". GeoScape. 12 (2): 84–91. doi:10.2478/geosc-2018-0009. S2CID 133994748.
  10. Antonopoulos, Paul (29 April 2021). "Thessaloniki positioning to become Balkan maritime gateway, bypassing Turkey and Danube Delta". Greek City Times.
  11. MIleski, Toni; Del Re, Emanuela C. (June 2013). "Geopolitical and geostrategic implication of possible navigable channel Danube-Morava-Vardar-Thessalonica" (PDF). Bezbednosni Dijalozi. 4 (1): 51–64. OCLC 9118273531.

External links

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