Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning Milan Bacevic said that the navigable canal Danube-Morava-Vardar is the largest strategic project of the state, and the Serbia can give up its natural resources, including those in Kosovo-Metohija.
In an interview for edition of daily newspaper “Vecernje Novosti” Bacevic said that this is a big job that requires serious preparation and added that there is a big interest for this $17 billion worth project.
The Minister of Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said that the first stage of works can be completed within five years, while the whole project could be ended in seven to eight years.
He added that 70,000 to 80,000 acres of the highest quality arable land along the Morava River will be protected from flood, and that irrigation will be provided during dry season, in order to have agricultural production tripled.
Five to seven 300 or 400 megawatts hydro power plants will operate along the Morava, and the shipping route from northern Europe to the Aegean Sea will be shortened by 1,200 kilometres.
As for the Serbian financial stake in the project, Bacevic said that it depends on the model we choose.
Bacevic stated that a strategic partnership or concession for this project will be suggested.
When asked on negotiations on the pipeline South Stream, Bacevic said that Serbia will be the most important transit station on the path of Russian gas to Europe.
I expect that preparatory work to start by the end of the year, he said and announded his visit to Moscow next week.
He said that the Serbian government should declare the South Stream project a national project so that problems with the expropriation of land could not arise.
Exploitation of oil shale is one of great opportunities for Serbia, he also noted.
Asked how the state will protect mineral resources in Kosovo-Metohija from the “wild” privatisation, Bacevic said that this topic has already been started and asked for support from the international community.
Serbia has no right to give up the resources in Kosovo-Metohija. If you look at the cadastre, many of these natural resources are located on land owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serbs who were expelled, said the Minister.
He also said he will do everything to restore the project cadastre of underground waters because water is a resource of the 21st century.
Source Serbia Gov.
