Earlier this week, Serbia agreed an additional €85 million loan with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the construction of the Niš – Pločnik part of the “Peace Highway”. The highway will connect the cities of Niš in Serbia and Pristina (Kosovo), further promoting and improving regional integration in the Western Balkans.

Sem Fabrizi, EU Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, said: “I welcome the signing of the loan with the EBRD as another concrete step in the realisation of this important project. The “Peace Highway” is one of the bridges for the peace and reconciliation in the Western Balkans. It will boost economic cooperation and recovery and make the region more prosperous by delivering better connectivity between people.”

The EU has already mobilised substantial financial resources for the construction of this highway by providing a €40.6 million grant for lot one of the Niš – Pločnik section, as well as a €9.6 million grant for the preparation of project documentation through the Western Balkans Investment Framework. In addition, the construction of the Niš – Pločnik section is co-financed with a €100 million preferential loan by the European Investment Bank.

With the latest loan of up to €85 million from the EBRD, construction of the section between the cities of Niš and Pločnik is moving forward. The first works tender for this section is to be launched in December 2020 while the tender for supervision services is ongoing.

The “Peace Highway” is one of the flagship investment projects within the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. The plan supports major road and railway connections in order to create a better connection between the economies of the Western Balkans and with the EU.