Serbia to discuss Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway project with Turkey's Erdogan

The construction of Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway will be among the most important projects to be discussed with Erdogan during his upcoming visit to Serbia, the infrastructure ministry said in a statement following a meeting of minister Zorana Mihajlovic with Turkey's ambassador to Serbia, Tanju Bilgic.

Earlier this month, Serbian media reported that Erdogan plans an official visit to Belgrade at the end of September to discuss the participation of Serbia in the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project and cooperation in textile industry.

A number of options for the motorway route are being analysed to support Bosnia in making its final decision on the project, the Serbian infrastructure ministry said.

In November 2016, Bosnia's state-level transport ministry said that Turkey was ready to finance a project to link Belgrade and Sarajevo via a fast road. Bosnia and Serbia both expressed interest in the project, especially Bosnia which had already mapped a route for the motorway into its transport strategy, Bosnia's transport ministry said back then.

Mihajlovic and Bilgic also discussed the joint efforts of their countries towards construction of Morava airport in Kraljevo, in southern Serbia, the ministry noted.

Last year, Turkish experts visited Morava airport and got acquainted with the plans for its development. The experts also discussed with Serbian officials the possible launch of charter flights between the two countries.