January 22 (SeeNews) - Serbia plans to invest 17.8 billion euro ($19.4 billion) in preparations for the international exhibition Belgrade Expo 2027, as the bulk will go towards the construction of facilities for the event, president Aleksandar Vucic said.
"We plan to invest 17.8 billion euro, which is the amount of Serbia's annual budget," Vucic was quoted as saying in a statement on the government's website in the weekend. At the same time, public debt should not come close or go beyond 60% of GDP, he added.
Facilities covering an area of 250 hectares, including an exhibition centre, a centre for water sports, a stadium and a residential complex with 1,500 apartments, will be built, finance minister Sinisa Mali was quoted as saying in the same statement. The project also envisages the construction of a traffic interchange and 10 km of roads.
The works should be completed by December 1, 2026, Mali noted.
According to him, more than a hundred countries will participate in Expo 2027, which will attract some 3 million visitors.
The four-year investment plan also includes projects in science and technology, energy and environment protection, among others.
($ = 0.919 euro)