Bulgaria could launch the tender for the concession of the Plovdiv airport in the near future after the transport and defence ministries have reached a settlement in their long-standing dispute over a runway stretch, officials said on Monday.

The defence ministry agreed to give up its claims on the runway in exchange for land elsewhere, Bulgarian Transport Minister Petar Mutafchiev said.

The transport ministry will also spend BGN 8 M as compensation for the expropriation of private property on and around the airport.

The ministry plans to build an intermodal cargo terminal, using a nearby rail station.

However, it remains yet unclear whether the terminal would be managed under concession or whether the ministry will set up a joint public-private venture company for that.