January 20 (SeeNews) - Transport connectivity and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will remain a top priority for the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Serbia in 2021, it said.
The EIB will continue to invest in SMEs, key transport and wastewater management infrastructure, and the improvement of healthcare and education facilities across Serbia, the bank said in a statement on Tuesday.
The bank will support Serbia in rolling out the Economic and Investment Plan for investments in green and digital projects and the creation of a common regional market, the EIB said following an online meeting between the bank's vice-president Lilyana Pavlova, responsible for operations in the Western Balkans, and Serbia's prime minister Ana Brnabic.
"The COVID-19 crisis posed unprecedented challenges that require a longer-term transformation into a greener and more digitalised, innovative and resilient economy. As a long-standing partner for Serbia and the region, the EIB will continue providing financial and technical assistance in facilitating this transition that will bring about competitiveness, productivity and growth, as well as integration with the regional market," Pavlova said.
For the digital transformation, the EIB unlocked 65 million euro ($79 million) in 2020 for introducing IT equipment and high-speed internet in Serbian schools.
The EIB will also encourage the transition to a cleaner, more diverse renewable energy supply in the region by developing new energy efficiency projects, the bank noted.
Following the EIB’s 1.7 billion euro financial package adopted in May to help Western Balkan countries mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 crisis, the EU bank mobilised over 1 billion euro for the region in 2020.
($ = 0.8227 euro)