Christos Panagopoulos, left, and Velimir Ilic after signing of the Protocol
Ilic said at a press conference that the aim of the Protocol is to facilitate the flow of people and goods at border crossings along this corridor, in line with the requests of the European Union, with which the waiting time will significantly be reduced.
He added that Greece is ready to help the completion of works on the part of the road leading to the Macedonian border with a €100 million donation, and specified that some €450 million is necessary to complete all the works on the Corridor 10.
The rest of the funds that are necessary will be secured through toll collection and possible granting of concessions for the use of that traffic artery.
The Minister announced that the government will soon bring a decision on the formation of a special agency that would have exclusive authority over tasks related to border traffic, since at the moment representatives of five ministries are taking care of the control of goods and passengers that enter Serbia.
Panagopoulos pointed out that signing of the Protocol will enable the use of all possibilities for an easier flow of people and goods, which is in the interest of all nine states that signed the Protocol.
He said that the regional economic development will be far easier and quicker, owing to the Serbian government and other signatory states, and that the realisation of the Protocol's provisions will change the region because people and goods will travel more quickly and without delays.