Speaking at a joint news conference with Premier of China Li Keqiang,
after the Serbia-China bilateral meeting at the Palace of Serbia during which the two countries
signed several agreements, memoranda and protocols, Vucic pointed out that Serbia has achieved an even more favourable agreement with the Chinese Exim Bank for a loan for the second phase of the project of thermal power plant Kostolac B.
The Prime Minister specified that the grace period is extended from five to seven years, while the interest rate is reduced from 3 to 2.5%.
He said that it was agreed to set up working groups with Hungary and Macedonia, which is also expected soon with Greece, and announced that by 20 January a joint position will be presented regarding the model of financing
the railway from Budapest to Belgrade, which should later continue from Belgrade to Skopje and then to Athens.
Vucic thanked the Premier of China for the fact that his country respects the policy and European path of Serbia, and for treating Serbia as a free and independent country.
He underlined that both counties conduct the policy of peace and do not harm anyone’s territorial integrity.
Keqiang said that it is a great pleasure for him to visit Serbia, at the invitation of Prime Minister Vucic.
He underlined that the two countries cherish traditional friendship, and noted that the talks were successful and that consensus on improvement and preservation of peace stability and development has been reached.
Speaking about the modernisation of the Belgrade-Budapest railway, the Chinese Premier said that this project is very important because it will enable the connection between the two countries and will stimulate the economy in the region along the railway.
According to him, the construction of this railway will not only contribute to deepening of cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, but also to the expansion and enrichment of Chinese and European relations.
The Premier of China said that his country supports European integration of Serbia, and that it wants future generations to inherit the friendship between the two countries.
Keqiang said that it was also agreed to promote practical cooperation in culture, tourism, science and education, on the basis of the existing mutual respect between the two countries.