Morava-Vardar Canal

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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.{{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 }}

Detailed plans were drafted by the Nazi government in 1941,{{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 }} in conjunction with navigation improvements on the Drava, Tisa, Begej, and Sava rivers, along with a Danube-Sava Canal.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

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.{{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 }} Subsequently, In 2012, the Serbian Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said that the project would be completed within eight years.{{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 }} 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.{{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 }} This was one of the most important projects for the Government of Serbia at the time.{{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 }}

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.{{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 }} The mayor of Thessaloniki called it a "dream".{{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 }} 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.{{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 }}

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.{{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 }} There would be a strong stimulus to investment, especially in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania.{{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 }}

• Vardar/Axios river
• Morava river

{{reflist}}

• [http://danube-cooperation.com/danubius/2011/11/28/morava-vardar-axios-navigation-route/ Morava – Vardar (Axios) Navigation Route]
• {{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 }}

Category:Geography of Macedonia (region)

Category:International rivers of Europe