BiH Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik says that a meeting should be held by May 15 in either BiH or Turkey with representatives of a Turkish company that will gain bank support to design the Belgrade-Sarajevo motorway, in order to agree on concrete terms and conditions.
Dodik reminded that the construction of the Rača – Kuzmin route would begin in June.
“We quickly reached a position to establish a contact point, so where the motorway will meet has been established. Serbia has accepted to build the most demanding structure on the route – the bridge on the Sava River, from where we are going to take over. The same company may continue with the work and I am sure that we will have dynamic works for the next months and years on this route and that it will be built during our next term of office,” Dodik said.
Dodik says that, during his visit to Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was fair and asked for agreements within BiH only.
“We reached this agreement earlier; we presented Erdogan with the route, roughly about € 3 billion, half to Republika Srpska, half to the Federation of BiH, which can be determined once we get projects. They are ready to support it, they proposed their companies to design a highway,” Dodik explained.
He told the press in Banjaluka he believed that the construction of the Višegrad to Pale and East Sarajevo motorway would be accelerated in order to connect to the Corridor Vc, while it was planned to build the Sokolac – Zvornik fast road and the part being built from demarcation line with Brčko District.
“We will have terms and conditions nearly identical to Serbia’s and it only remains for us to plan it all these days. Our main strategic, communication goal is to build the Banjaluka-Bijeljina motorway towards Belgrade and in this regard, we are looking for various options. We now have the option that is offered to us. We earlier held talks with Chinese companies and the EU. We will take every bid that is in the interest of building this road and of being most favorable and cost-effective for our Republic and our people,” added Dodik.
Dodik said that during his visit to Turkey, he had opportunity to ask for as terms and conditions for financial support as possible, as long grace period as possible with the zero interest rate and return loan period of at least 20 years. “I would be very happy and proud if we obtain such terms and conditions,” the BiH Presidency Chairman added.
Dodik pointed out that those who criticized his work had never done anything concretely and left nothing behind, besides the empty story and betrayal.
He reminded that during the visit to Turkey, a Trade Agreement was signed, which implied certain preferences and privileges for BiH, and therefore for Republika Srpska, and the possibility to export 15,000 tons of meat, which implies significant production that could be organised in BiH, especially in Srpska, in order to employ a large number of people.
“According to the price so far, this is about more than BAM 130 million worth job,” says Dodik.
He recalled that BiH lost a project that supposed to connect with the South Stream and that Sarajevo did not allow the passage of gas pipeline under the Drina River.
“I asked for Turkey’s consent to support that BiH be treated as part of the overall energy route for TurkStream, and we agreed that Turkey and we immediately ask Russia, as the primary investor and owner of this gas pipeline, to see how we can implement it. This means it will not be hesitated to authorize the passage of the gas pipeline to be built wherever. These are the benefits for Republika Srpska,” added Dodik.
Source: srna