Part of World Bank loan proceeds to go to rehabilitation of roads damaged by floods

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic spoke today with a World Bank delegation led by Laura Tuck, the vice president of that creditor, about the rehabilitation of roads damaged by floods, construction of Corridor X, and the reorganization of Serbian Railways.

Assessing that road network rehabilitation was a priority for the Government, Mihajlovic announced that the loan extended by the World Bank for the improvement of road infrastructure and safety would be forwarded to the National Assembly of Serbia for ratification the next week. She added that Serbia would ask for the purpose of a part of the loan proceeds to be changed in order to make the work on the stretches that were damaged the most by floods a priority.

Aside from the already announced assistance to Serbia in the renovation of infrastructure, the World Bank is also ready to help the rehabilitation of landslides on Corridor X that threaten to endanger the construction of this highway, it was said at the meeting.

According to Laura Tuck, the World Bank is also willing to support the reorganization of Serbian Railways that should focus on market orientation and try to rationalize its network and services.