Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 inaugurated the first kilometers of the Peace Highway, which is expected to connect Ni\u0161 to Merdare, Pristina, Tirana, and Durr\u00ebs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am proud that this highway will connect us with the Albanians,\u201d he said, emphasizing that trade between Serbia and Albania has increased by 35 percent in recent years.<\/p>\n
Vu\u010di\u0107 added that this road, which he considered the backbone of the Western Balkans, will be one of the busiest highways in the next 20 years. The European Union Ambassador to Belgrade, Emanuele Giaufret, shared the same sentiment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis road will connect the south of Serbia with the Western Balkan network and enable the free flow of people, goods, and capital, from Ni\u0161, via Pristina to Tirana and Durr\u00ebs,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
He mentioned that the road should be a \u201croad of peace, stability, and reconciliation\u201d, which is why it has been named the Peace Highway.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 5.5-kilometer section we opened is the first segment of a much larger project that will connect Ni\u0161 and other cities in this part of Serbia with the Adriatic Sea via Durr\u00ebs,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n
The total value of the project is expected to be around 650 million euros. The cost of the 33 kilometers long Ni\u0161-Plo\u010dnik section estimated at 255 million euros is financed through a grant from the European Union worth over 40 million euros.<\/p>\n
The contract for this first section of the highway was signed in September 2021 during the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.<\/p>\n
Over 180 million euros have been secured through favorable loans from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while the rest will come from the Serbian government\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
The “Peace Highway” is one of the main projects within the framework of the EU\u2019s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.<\/p>\n
The Peace Highway was also part of the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo signed at the White House in 2020, and the construction of which will be assisted by the EU and the US. The part that connects the border point between Kosovo and Serbia, Merdare to Pristina, with a length of 27 km, has a cost of around 240 million euros, according to the Government of Kosovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat news! With the inauguration of the first part of the Ni\u0161-Merdare section of the Peace Highway, we connect people and business of south Serbia. This is a flagship project of the 30 billion euros Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. The EU delivers! More is coming,\u201d wrote European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliv\u00e9r V\u00e1rhelyi in a Twitter post.<\/p>\n
\nGreat news!
W\/ the inauguration of 1st part of Ni\u0161-Merdare section of the Peace Highway, we connect people & business of S Serbia.
This \ud83d\udee3\ufe0f is a flagship project of the \u20ac30b Economic & Investment Plan for #WesternBalkans<\/a>.
The EU delivers! More is coming! https:\/\/t.co\/yZdNDgec9t<\/a><\/p>\n— Oliver Varhelyi (@OliverVarhelyi) July 26, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n