“Serbia will get additional financial aid from Russia"

BELGRADE Serbia can count on further financial assistance from Russia in addition to a USD 800mn loan, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Konuzin said on Wednesday. The USD 800mn loan is intended for the Serbian railways. “Serbia will get additional financial aid from Russia" “We are discussing that. Of course, we should first hear what Serbia needs, and then we should act in concert to define possibilities for resolving these issues,” Konuzin said at the meeting on the realization of the Russian loan for railways. The Russian ambassador voiced expectation that the talks would yield some concrete results very soon. At the meeting, Serbian Transport Minister Milutin Mrkonjic and representatives of the Serbian and Russian railways announced that construction works on the second track of the Belgrade- Pancevo railway, which would be financed by the Russian loan, would start in autumn. The contractor's agreement for the realization of railway projects would be signed by the end of the year. “For the construction works to start, Serbia needs to secure around EUR 550,000 for the expropriation of property, and the review commission of the Construction and Urban Planning Ministry has to confirm the project,” said representatives of the Serbian Railways. Mrkonjic accepted Konuzin's proposal that the Serbian and Russian railways should establish a strategic presence in the region and announced that the Transport Ministry would earmark the funds for that. The Serbian minister said that the whole sum of the Russian loan, USD 800mn, dedicated to railways would be used for that purpose exclusively and would not be channeled to some other needs. Aleksandr Konuzin Tanjug

“Serbia will get additional financial aid from Russia"

“We are discussing that. Of course, we should first hear what Serbia needs, and then we should act in concert to define possibilities for resolving these issues,” Konuzin said at the meeting on the realization of the Russian loan for railways.

The Russian ambassador voiced expectation that the talks would yield some concrete results very soon.

At the meeting, Serbian Transport Minister Milutin Mrkonjić and representatives of the Serbian and Russian railways announced that construction works on the second track of the Belgrade- Pančevo railway, which would be financed by the Russian loan, would start in autumn.

The contractor's agreement for the realization of railway projects would be signed by the end of the year.

“For the construction works to start, Serbia needs to secure around EUR 550,000 for the expropriation of property, and the review commission of the Construction and Urban Planning Ministry has to confirm the project,” said representatives of the Serbian Railways.

Mrkonjić accepted Konuzin's proposal that the Serbian and Russian railways should establish a strategic presence in the region and announced that the Transport Ministry would earmark the funds for that.

The Serbian minister said that the whole sum of the Russian loan, USD 800mn, dedicated to railways would be used for that purpose exclusively and would not be channeled to some other needs.