The Government of Serbia and the European Investment Bank signed today an agreement on the allocation of EUR 175 million, the second tranche of a European grant totalling EUR 600 million, for the construction of a high-speed railway line from Belgrade to Niš.
The document was signed, in the presence of Prime Minister Ana Brnabić and Head of the EU Delegation Emanuele Giaufret, by Vice President of the European Investment Bank Lilyana Pavlova, Minister of Construction Goran Vesić and Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, as well as Director General of “Infrastruktura železnice Srbije” Nebojša Šurlan.
A grant of EUR 265 million was previously allocated for this key infrastructure project in Serbia.
EIB representatives said that the total support for this infrastructure investment was EUR 1.1 billion, of which 550 million had already been signed.
The signing was preceded by a meeting of EIB representatives with Prime Minister Brnabić and Ministers Vesić and Miščević, as well as Minister of Health Danica Grujičić.
After the signing, EIB representatives continued their talks with Vesić.
In her statement after the signing, Pavlova assessed that this was a matter of support for the realisation of a key strategic investment.
“We believe that investing in a new, modern, high-speed and less-polluting railway line is of key importance for Serbia, the region and the EU. It will provide better connections between the people of the region and better opportunities for transporting goods”, she said.
She recalled that the EIB had been extremely active in the Western Balkans for years and had thus far provided EUR 7.2 billion supporting the economy of the region and announced that the expansion of cooperation will be continued.
Giaufret said that the investment in that railway line was a big programme launched 30 days ago, which is supported by the EU, and that its value exceeds one billion euros.
“We are now taking the second step with the signing of a new EUR 175 million grant agreement that will move this project forward”, he said.
He recalled that instead of the current six hours when the new railway line was built, the journey would take 100 minutes.
“This will be a great benefit for the citizens, a benefit for the economy of Niš and the surrounding areas, the transport of goods will be faster, and it is part of a larger project of connecting Serbia with European infrastructure. It is an important step towards bringing Serbia closer to the EU”, he said.
Miščević pointed out that it was the task of the Government of Serbia, in partnership with the EU, to do what brings the most benefits to the citizens.
“The railway line is not the only topic of our talks. With the EIB and the EU, which is a partner in improving our lives, we are discussing how best to equip clinical centres and finish their reconstructions, how to help build new capacities when it comes to the use of new technologies, and how to support research and development with more significant funds”, she said.
She added that the topic of the talks with European partners was also further development of dual education.
“That help and support is an immeasurable benefit that we have so that we can more easily travel, work, find a place for ourselves that will provide us with a better standard and advancement but also better conditions for medical treatment and prevention in regard to health”, she said.
Minister Vesić expressed his gratitude for the support in the development of railway projects and pointed out that the railway lines in Serbia were changing rapidly.
He stated that after the high-speed railway line to Novi Sad, a similar railway line to Subotica was being built and that the construction of a 228-kilometre high-speed railway line to Niš was starting then, and that he expected that a high-speed railway line to Preševo would be built in the future.
He announced the Serbian-Hungarian initiative to the representatives of Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia for a meeting regarding the continuation of the project on high-speed railway lines towards those countries.
“That way they would put those railway lines at the disposal of Europe because they only make sense if they stretch along the entire continent”, he said.
He expects this to happen in the presence of European partners and potential creditors.
Vesić recalled several railway projects that the EU financed in Serbia and said that Serbia would be ready to offer them projects for the development of five regional railway lines.
Source: Tanjug
