SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), December 22 (SeeNews) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Thursday it is continuing its support for the development of transport infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina with two loans totalling 86 million euro ($89.9 million).
The EBRD is providing 76 million euro to finance the construction of two sections on the Corridor Vc motorway - the Svilaj-Odzak section in the north of the country, and the Donja Gracanica-Klopce section near Zenica, in central Bosnia, the bank said in a statement.
It is also providing a 10 million euro loan to finance the upgrading of facilities at the port of Brcko and improving road and railway access to the harbour.
Brcko is a town in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina which lies on the Sava river. The city's port is the only inland river port in the country and is a transit point for cargo traffic flows to and from heavy industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We are pleased to continue our support for the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s main international corridor Vc to improve connectivity and integration, which in turn will open new opportunities for the country’s economy", Sue Barrett, EBRD Director, Transport, said in the press release.
"The modernisation of Brcko port, the EBRD’s first inland port project, promotes multimodal and low-carbon transport systems and is a key milestone in the development of river transport on the Sava, which we are also delighted to support,” Barrett added.
Since the beginning of its operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EBRD has invested more than 1.9 billion euro in 135 projects in the country. The EBRD’s strategic priorities for the period 2016-18 for its countries of operations are re-energising growth, strengthening regional integration and addressing global challenges.
($=0.957017 euro)