SERBIA'S FINANCIAL SUPPORT IMPORTANT FOR MOTORWAY CONNECTION WITH SRPSKA

BANJA LUKA, JULY 9 /SRNA/ - Minister of Transport and Communications of Republika Srpska Zoran Stevanović said that the goal is to intensify works on the Rača-Bijeljina motorway and that Serbia's donation of EUR 10 million for this purpose is of great importance, as it will enable the complete connection of key centres in Republika Srpska and Serbia.

Stevanović told SRNA that this assistance from the Government of Serbia, based on today's decision by the Government of Republika Srpska, will be transferred to the accounts of the company Republika Srpska Highways.

"They will use the funds to pay due obligations to the contractors, and our goal is to intensify works as much as possible on the mentioned section, namely to connect the first approximately seven kilometres of the motorway towards Bijeljina with the Brodac interchange by the end of the construction season, starting from the Rača border crossing," Stevanović explained.

He stated that the strategic goal of Republika Srpska is to connect all key local communities in Srpska by motorway with Serbia and Belgrade over the next four to five years, from Banja Luka and Prijedor to Doboj and Bijeljina.

He concluded that, in this regard, it is important for works on the motorway sections from Doboj to Vukosavlje and Modriča, as well as through Brčko, to begin as soon as possible.

At today's session in Banja Luka, the Government of Republika Srpska adopted a decision accepting donor funds from the Government of Serbia in the amount of EUR 10 million for the purpose of co-financing the construction of the Rača-Bijeljina motorway section, within the cooperation mechanism established under the Agreement on the Establishment of Special Parallel Relations between Republika Srpska and Serbia.