Serbian Government has identified 18 relevant strategic projects with estimated implementation cost of EUR1.9 billion, out of which Serbia has allocated EUR166.2 million, said Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic.

At the third session of National Investment Committee, she said the Government intended to implement strategic projects under the most favourable conditions of finance, through EU grants, favourable loans and budget money.

“We have conducted a detailed analysis and defined preparing steps Serbia should take, Joksimovic said and added that the projects included the construction of Nis-Pristina highway, the construction of waste water treatment plant in Novi Sad, upgrade of railway network within the Corridor X, as well as waste water treatment plant in Nis,” Joksimovic said and explained the Government would ask European Commission to approve funding of some of these projects in 2016. “Their total value is EUR281 million, out of which EUR180 million come in the form of grants,” Joksimovic said.

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said Serbia made substantial progress in the process of European integration, which resulted in opening of the first negotiating chapters in 2015.

Davenport said today’s meeting was a continuation of Serbia-European Commission cooperation and added that it was an opportunity for Serbia to show it had made substantial progress in economic reforms, but also to prepare for future negotiations within Chapter 22.

The session was also participated in by Minister of Finance Dusan Vujovic, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Snezana Bogosavljevic-Boskovic, representatives of other relevant ministries, European Commission, embassies and international financial institutions.