Today, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked via video link with the Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Ljiljana Pavlova, about the continuation of cooperation and further realization of key strategic projects in Serbia.
The Prime Minister stated that further improvement of the health system in Serbia, development of the infrastructure network and realization of the green and digital agenda, which includes environmental protection, remain key priorities of the Serbian Government, expressing hope that, with EIB support, planned projects will be successfully completed.
“Successful cooperation between Serbia and the EIB and support for previous projects came to the fore during the pandemic. This was mostly seen in the health sector, and the readiness of hospitals and health conditions in Serbia to respond to this pandemic. Also, a big thank you for the EIB’s help in investing in R&D centers in Serbia, which help us build an innovation-driven economy, and all other projects like the Connected School, which have undoubtedly contributed to our good economic performance in 2020,” said the Prime Minister.
Pavlova expressed satisfaction with the results achieved by the Government of Serbia, especially emphasizing that the timely and decisive measures taken by the government in the fight against coronavirus contributed to maintaining the economic stability of the country during the pandemic.
The European Investment Bank supports Serbia’s strategic goals, priority projects such as the reconstruction and construction of an additional building of the Clinical Center of Serbia, the reconstruction of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina, the modernization of railway infrastructure and others economic growth and productivity of Serbia that contribute to the stability and better functioning of the Western Balkans region.
We will invest in infrastructure and the private sector
The European Investment Bank (EIB) today confirmed its commitment to investing in infrastructure and the private sector in Serbia and stated that it will help Serbia eliminate the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the EIB announced.
As it is stated, the vice president of the EIB in charge of activities in the Western Balkans, Ljiljana Pavlova, and the prime minister, Ana Brnabic, agreed on investment plans for Serbia, and they discussed that during the online meeting.
The EIB will encourage both green and digital transformation of Serbia in accordance with the new Economic and Investment Plan.
The EIB says that transport connections will remain the main priority of the EIB in Serbia in 2021, in addition to supporting the private sector, especially small and medium enterprises.
She reiterated her commitment to help the region recover from Covid-19 and to support private sector development and the region’s transformation towards a greener and more digitalized economy.
Also, the EIB expressed support for the introduction of the Economic and Investment Plan in Serbia for investments in green and digital projects and the creation of a common regional market.
The European Investment Bank will continue to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises, key infrastructure in the field of transport and wastewater management, as well as in the improvement of health and education facilities across the country.
She reminds that in the last 10 years alone, she has invested more than eight billion euros in the region for the modernization of vital infrastructure and the development of the private sector.
Digitalization will continue to be a key priority for the EIB, and in 2020 it approved 65 million euros for the introduction of IT equipment and high-speed internet in schools in Serbia.
Also, the EIB will encourage the transition to a cleaner, more diverse supply of renewable energy sources in the region, through the development of new energy efficiency projects.
Pavlova said that the crisis caused by Covid-19 faced us with unprecedented challenges that require a long-term transformation in the direction of a greener, digitalized, innovative and resilient economy.
“As a long-term partner of Serbia and the region, the EIB will continue to provide financial and technical assistance in enabling this transition, which will ensure competitiveness, productivity and growth, as well as inclusion in the regional market,” Pavlova said.
In that way, she emphasized, Serbia will take its rightful place within the EU value chains and attract investments that will enable the creation of new jobs, innovations and economic prosperity.
Brnabic said that the successful cooperation between Serbia and the EIB and the support for previous projects came to the fore during the pandemic.
“It was mostly seen in the health sector, and the readiness of hospitals and health conditions in Serbia to respond to this pandemic,” said Brnabic.
She expressed great gratitude for the EIB’s assistance in investing in research and development centers in Serbia, building an economy based on innovation and all other projects such as the Connected School, which undoubtedly contributed to Serbia’s good economic results in 2020.
Following the EIB’s 1.7 billion-euro financial package, adopted in May to help the Western Balkans mitigate the negative effects of the Covid-19 crisis, the EU Bank has already mobilized more than 1 billion euros for the region in 2020.
These funds have been allocated to support local economies, health and other infrastructure sectors, in order to address the most urgent shortcomings and contribute to building long-term resilience to emergencies.
Significant funds have been provided to small and medium-sized enterprises to maintain liquidity, business continuity and employment, RTV reports.
