October 27 (SeeNews) - The Turkish government plans to provide financing worth 500 million euro ($582 million) for infrastructure projects in Serbia, Serbian trade minister Rasim Ljajic has said.
The governments of Serbia and Turkey governments are currently discussing the model of financing, Ljajic said in response to a question by a member of parliament, according to a statement issued by the government on Thursday.
It is not clear yet whether the potential financing will be extended to Turkish companies participating in tenders for infrastructure projects in Serbia or the country will receive loans under favourable conditions, Ljajic added.
He also said that representatives of Turkey's Exim Bank will visit Serbia in November to discuss interest rates of the potential loans that could be extended.
Earlier this month, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Exim Bank can extend loans with an interest rate of 1.6% to Serbia to support infrastructure projects in the country. Erdogan, on a two-day official visit to Serbia, also said that he expects Turkish companies to double the number of their employees in the country next year.