September 10 (SeeNews) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to provide financing of 140 million euro ($155 million) to Serbia for the construction of the Nis-Merdare motorway, infrastructure minister Zorana Mihajlovic has said.
The financing will include a 100 million euro loan plus a 40 million euro grant for the construction of the 34 km-long Nis-Plocnik section of the motorway, Mihajlovic said in a video file published on the website of Tanjug news agency on Monday.
"We expect that construction works will start next year," Mihajlovic said.
The contract for the EIB financing will be signed in the framework of the ceremony for the opening of the headquarters of the Transport Community of the Western Balkans on September 13, in the presence of European transport commissioner Violeta Bulc, Mihajlovic added.
The 77 km Nis-Merdare motorway is part of a road link extending to Albania's capital Tirana and further on to the country's Adriatic port of Durres.
($ = 0.904654 euro)