EIB to provide EUR 3.5 billion for development of Western Balkans – Railway connection with Bulgaria to be financed in Serbia

The Head of the Regional Representation of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Western Balkans based in Belgrade, Dubravka Negre, stated on Sunday, May 21, 2017, that the EIB would provide a total of EUR 3.5 billion for the development of the states of the Western Balkans, but that it was up to those states whether they would use the money or not.

Negre said at the “Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting”, organized by the Vienna Economic Forum (VEF) in cooperation with the Serbian Association of Economists (SAE), that the EIB had set aside EUR 40 million for the development of infrastructure in Montenegro, around EUR 70 million in B&H and more than EUR 200 million in Serbia.

– We are planning to provide an additional EUR 2 billion to the Western Balkans in the next three years, on top of the current EUR 1.5 billion. This amounts to EUR 3.5 billion of new investments in the Western Balkans. This is possible since we are a bank which governs itself in line with projects, and whether this is to be realized depends on the preparedness of the projects and their implementation – Negre said.

She reminded that the EIB had already provided help by financing Corridor 10 in Serbia, as well as in Macedonia, Corridor 5c in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the construction of the railway infrastructure in Montenegro...

– This year, we are planning to finance the railway connection of the eastern part of Serbia with Bulgaria – Negre said and added that the plan was for the EIB to also support the construction of the gas connection between Serbia and Bulgaria.

Evropska investiciona banka EIB

Vienna Economic Forum Vienna Austria

Savez ekonomista Srbije Beograd

European Investment Bank

Vienna Economic Forum

VEF EIB

Dubravka Negre

Vienna Economic Talks Belgrade Meeting

Serbian Association of Economists

SAE

Corridor 10

Corridor 5c

Serbia Bulgaria railway

Serbia Bulgaria gas connection