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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Kostunica re-opens Ostruznica rail-bridge

Belgrade, 15 September 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica opened today, on the occasion of the Serbian Railways Day, a rail-bridge over the Sava River near Ostruznica, in whose reconstruction the Serbian government and Serbian railways company Zeleznice Srbije have invested 250 million dinars.

Kostunica said that the construction of bridges is important for Serbia on its path to the EU and voiced hope that not even a single bridge will need to be rebuilt in the future.

Bridges are important, perhaps the most important part of infrastructure, said the Prime Minister and added that this bridge confirms that fact with its history. With the opening of this 658 metre-long bridge, the Serbian railway marks its 122nd year since the first tracks were laid, said Kostunica.

He recalled that the construction of the bridge in 1953 allowed the transport of dangerous substances to be detoured around Belgrade, and its true value was realised only when it was destroyed in the 1999 NATO bombing.

From now on rail transport of dangerous substances will not take place via Belgrade, but across the Ostruznica Bridge instead, said Kostunica, and added that the opening of the bridge will also make transport much faster.

Serbian Minister of Capital Investment Velimir Ilic said that the reconstruction of the bridge is the first finished project financed by funds from the National Investment Plan.

Ilic expressed gratitude to workers of bridge building company Mostogradnja and transportation institute CIP for the work done and stressed that the bridge will allow transportation of dangerous substances to be moved away from the city centre.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Serbian Minister of Finance Mladjan Dinkic, Serbian Minister of Economy Predrag Bubalo and Director of Zeleznice Srbije Milanko Sarancic.