Construction of the Bijeljina-Brčko section begins

The official start of construction of the 17-kilometer Bijeljina-Brcko section, which is an integral part of the strategic national project of the Republika Srpska, the Belgrade-Banja Luka highway, has been announced.

The ceremonial start of work was attended by a large number of dignitaries, led by President Milorad Dodik, Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska Savo Minić, Acting Director Radovan Višković, and the event was also graced with the presence of the Chinese Ambassador to BiH Li Fan and Deputy General Director of COVEC Wang Hongming.

Director Višković emphasized the importance of today's start of construction of another section, which provides Republika Srpska with a high-quality, modern road network between Serbia and Srpska. He expressed hope that the Chinese partner will justify its position as the leading construction company in China, and that this project will be completed even before the agreed deadline.

This is how the modern history of Srpska is written, because our strategic national goal is to connect Banja Luka and Belgrade, said the acting director of the Public Enterprise "Autoputeva Republika Srpska" Radovan Višković, at today's ceremony marking the start of construction of the Bijeljina - Brcko highway section, which was held in Velika Obarska, near Bijeljina.

The project, worth 274 million marks, says Višković, is being built on a turnkey basis.

- In order for our national and strategic goal of connecting Banja Luka and Belgrade at full capacity to be completed, 35 kilometers from Doboj to Vukosavlje are still undecided at this moment. We are in active negotiations with the World Bank and American companies, and I expect to reach an agreement there very soon - said Višković.

Director Višković expressed his satisfaction with the fact that this generation of politicians, to which he belongs, is doing everything they can to make Republika Srpska better, more beautiful and more successful in every respect, and investments in road infrastructure are the first step in creating a favorable environment for economic, business and any other type of development.

The Minister of Transport and Communications of Republika Srpska also addressed the attendees, welcoming the agreement between Republika Srpska and the Brčko District regarding the highway junction points.

- So they will also very quickly go through the design of the route through the territory of the district. Considering that their supervisor is from the USA, he promised quick approval of financing for this project - said Stevanović.

The construction of the Brcko-Bijeljina highway is another significant infrastructure project within the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Chinese Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Li Fan. For Chinese partners, this is a bond of friendship that encourages cooperation and common development, but also the responsibility that this project carries. Li Fan, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Bosnia and Herzegovina, says that cooperation will continue in all directions.

Deputy General Director of the Chinese company "COVEC", which is building this section, Wang Hongming said that the Chinese partner will actively fulfill corporate social responsibility, strengthen communication and cooperation with the Government and local communities and businesses, and that it will prioritize the employment of local labor and encourage the participation of local companies in the construction of the project.

The historic project to connect Republika Srpska and Serbia was agreed upon by Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić, said Prime Minister Savo Minić.

- Republika Srpska is making contracts with Chinese companies. Republika Srpska is the one that is a partner. Republika Srpska is the one that can say that it has both strength and capacity, and after all that has happened to us unfairly in recent years, 6.6 billion investments will be even more - said Prime Minister Savo Minić.

SNSD leader Milorad Dodik thanked China for the support it has provided to Republika Srpska. He called on the Chinese ambassador to understand the uniqueness of Republika Srpska, because Bosnia and Herzegovina did not participate in these projects.

-The very fact that they do not have a single viable project in the Federation, that you have been excluded from many projects such as the one in Tuzla, and that the already contracted jobs show that mentioning BiH is abstract and that all the projects that China is implementing are being implemented in the Republika Srpska and I would just ask for respect - Dodik pointed out.

Dodik thanked Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for not rejecting a single idea that is significant for development. We are building connections that have been denied to the Serbian people for centuries, Dodik said, because they believed that communication between the two states should be prevented.