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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Corridor 10 Serbia’s priority in 2009

Belgrade, 27 December 2008

Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic today stated that the government priority in 2009 will be the construction of Corridor 10.

Oliver Dulic

Dulic told a press conference that in March 2009 Serbia will begin constructing all roads in the Corridor 10 network, which will be financed from privatisation revenues.

The construction of Corridor 10 will begin when all project documentation is prepared, he said, adding that the government is currently not in contact with the concessionaires.

He recalled that Serbia will not ask for arbitration, voicing hope that the concessionaire will also refrain from that step, since it would be best for both parties that the contract is terminated with mutual agreement.

Dulic said that this way there can still be cooperation on all projects on which Serbia cooperates with companies who are part of the concessionaire company.

He announced that the government priorities in 2009 will also include the construction of the Corridor 10 rail road, motorway Belgrade–South Adriatic and the construction and improvement of the general road network.

According to him, another priority are Corridor 10 sections Leskovac–Presevo, Nis–Dimitrovgrad and Novi Sad–Horgos, as well as the ring road around Belgrade.

According to the Ministry data, total funds needed for the construction are €1.585 billion and the abovementioned roads will be financed from the budget, donations and loans from the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Hellenic Plan, said Dulic.

He noted that the construction and improvement of the general road network includes motorway Kragujevac–Batocina, main roads M21 Novi Sad–Irig–Ruma–Sabac, M19 Sabac–Loznica and M25 Pozarevac–Kucevo–Majdanpek–Negotin and the Corridor 10 branch from the cloverleaf Subotica South to the Kelebija border crossing.

Dulic announced that a campaign titled “Let’s Clean Serbia” will be carried out in 2009, starting from March 1, for which a large portion of the Ministry’s funds will be used.

We intend to make 2009 the year in which we will make Serbia clean, explained Dulic adding that the Ministry and the Environmental Protection Fund intend to invest €6.5 million in this campaign.

He said waste disposal is a burning issue in Serbia, where between 2.3 and 2.5 tonnes of waste created every year are not properly disposed of.

He said the campaign will rest on four pillars, i.e. the educational one, aimed to raise citizens’ awareness, then on campaigns in the field to remove illegal dumps, development of ecological industry aimed at recycling, and inclusion of popular festivals, such as Exit and Guca Brass Band festival, in the campaign.

Dulic said that industrial waste, which has been accumulating for years, is another issue and called upon parliament to adopt laws on waste management as soon as possible.

The government has adopted the conclusion on the need to construct a facility for physical and chemical treatment of hazardous waste, said the Minister adding that early next year a proper location of 20 hectares will be found for this purpose.

The facility will process 43,000 tonnes of hazardous waste, for which the EU has secured €14 million, he said.

Serbia will insist that environmental protection standards are respected in the realisation of the energy agreement with Russia in order to minimize the possibility of ecological accidents, he said.

Dulic noted that the Ministry took part in talks on the energy agreement and is satisfied with its environmental aspects.

He also said the Ministry will insist on the respect of all laws and standards, adding that it is very important that the state and the NIS buyer establish such a relation in which the state will supervise the respect for and implementation of standards and laws.