Meeting with the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness of the Republic of France

 

President Vučić pointed out that the Agreement on cooperation with France is significant for Serbia and its further development, and expressed high gratitude to French Minister Frank Riester for visiting our country amid the pandemic.

 

"Important agreements were signed today. We will modernise our electricity network. We still have much work, especially regarding this second point - to start the actual construction works before the end of next year, on the first route that would connect Makiš, Mirijevo and the entire centre, including the river banks of the Sava and partly of the Danube. The subway construction is not only a way to solve the growing traffic problem in the city; it is also a question of prestige, the strength of one city and one state", said President Vučić and added that with the support of France we managed to improve the conditions at our airport. He especially thanked the President of the Republic of France Emmanuel Macron for showing his understanding for our people at all times.

 

 

 

"The price of the subway in Belgrade will not be lower than 4.4 billion euros," stated President Vučić and emphasised that the final price has not been defined yet as the design has not been completed. He added it is a large amount of money and a tremendous investment, but that it will drastically affect the increase in GDP in the coming years, especially in 2022 and 2023, as Serbia wants to continue with its success in comparison to everyone else.

 

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness of the Republic of France, Frank Riester, said the construction of the Belgrade subway would be an important step for further modernisation of Belgrade and the whole of Serbia. He pointed out that the joint projects, the largest of which are the upcoming construction of the subway, the concession of the Belgrade airport managed by the French VINCI and the project of solving the landfill in Vinča - lead to even better cooperation and the future of relations between the two countries.

 

 

"Today's Agreement represents the firm intention of the two governments to include our companies in this project, together with Alstom - electrification of signalisation, wagons and other within the project of the subway construction. France guarantees the export credits for that endeavour," said Minister Riester, emphasising that the signed Agreement is an essential step for further economic and political cooperation between the two countries sharing a common history, friendship and brotherhood since the First World War. 

 

"France supports Serbia on its European path," said Minister Riester, adding that French companies employ about 12,000 people in Serbia, which is a real wind in the sails of cooperation between our two countries.

 

Belgrade, 

26th November 2020