Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic has awarded a $330m contract to China State Construction Engineering for the construction of a part of a highway linking it with Serbia, reported Reuters.
Serb Republic Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic announced that preparatory work on the 33km long Vukosavlje-Brcko section in northern Bosnia would start at the end of August.
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The funding assessed for the part of the highway to link Prijedor in the west of Bosnia with the Serbian capital Belgrade excludes VAT.
Serb Republic intends to construct a modern highway joining most of its territory with Serbia.
Viskovic said China State Construction Engineering was chosen as the most suitable bidder after the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development refused to back the project as it deemed it to be insignificant.
Serb Republic plans to hold discussions with Chinese firms if the EBRD decides not to back other strategic transportation projects in the region.
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By GlobalDataMany Chinese firms are already participating in the construction of roads and energy projects in Bosnia.
Bosnia’s three-man inter-ethnic presidency member Milorad Dodik was quoted by the news agency as saying: “This shows that Republika Srpska has an alternative and cannot be blackmailed by some from the West who try to influence political attitudes and political solutions by banning banks from investing money,”
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Image: Many Chinese firms are participating in the construction of roads and energy projects in Bosnia. Credit: IDarca from Pixabay.
