Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visits a construction site along the Iverak-Lajkovac expressway near the town of Klanica, The Chinese company which is in charge of building an expressway in western Serbia might finish the project ahead of time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday while touring the construction site near the town of Klanica, highlighting the benefits it will bring to local communities. (Photo:Xinhua)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks while visiting a construction site along the Iverak-Lajkovac expressway near the town of Klanica, Serbia on March 23, 2021. (Photo:Xinhua)

The Chinese company which is in charge of building an expressway in western Serbia might finish the project ahead of time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday while touring the construction site near the town of Klanica, highlighting the benefits it will bring to local communities.

Vucic, who visited the site of the Iverak-Lajkovac expressway together with Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo, noted that the project is progressing steadily thanks to the efforts of the Shandong Hi-Speed Group and its Serbian partners.

Construction on the 18.3-km road which is worth 158 million euros (177 million U.S. dollars) started in June 2020, and once completed, it will connect the upcoming Belgrade-South Adriatic highway with parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the West and the Corridor 10 to the east, putting the city of Valjevo in the focus of Serbia's development plans.

According to a press release of the President's office, Vucic stressed the importance of the new road for the "development, life and future" of the city of Valjevo, and expressed the hope that the Chinese contractors could finish it before December 2022, although the contract stipulates that the entire project needs to be completed before December 2023.

"Everything that has not been done in Valjevo for decades, will be done in the next two to three years. It is a completely new standard of living," he said, announcing other infrastructure projects in the city of Valjevo.

Noting that infrastructure is one of the most important areas of cooperation between China and Serbia, the Chinese ambassador expressed confidence that the results in that area will be even better.

"We have all heard that the project will be completed before the agreed deadline," Chen said, adding that Chinese companies can share their experience and technology with their Serbian partners and contribute to Serbia's economic development.

"I am convinced that we will achieve more results in that area," she added.