The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, attended the beginning of works on the construction of the highway E-80 Niš (Merošina) – Pločnik (Beloljin), phase 1, section Merošina-Merošina 1, and pointed out that the highway would be a great step forward for our country, and above all for the municipalities of the Toplica region and for Niš as an important Balkan road hub. The beginning of the works was attended by the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia EU Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, Minister of Construction Tomislav Momirovic, directors of the Corridor of Serbia and Serbian Roads, Aleksandar Antić and Zoran Drobnjak, Nis City Mayor Dragana Sotirovski, the presidents of municipalities in Nišava and Toplica districts.  The “Peace Highway“ will connect people, towns, but also businesses and is a chance for economic progress in the Southern Serbia, this is one of the conclusion after the start of works on the first part of the project. Once the project is completed, the time for travel between Niš and Merdare will be around 45 minutes. The cost of the 33 kilometers long Niš –Pločnik section of the project is 255 million EUR, 40 million EUR coming as a grant from the European Union, while over 180 million EUR is secured through favourable loans from European Investment Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while the rest will be coming from the Serbian budget. The highway will continue to Merdare in the next phase the cost of the complete road is expected to be around 650 million EUR.

“This is a big step forward for our country,” the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić emphasized and thanked the European Union for the financial assistance for this project. „It will mean a new life for Prokuplje, Blace, Žitorađa, Kuršumlija, Prolom Banja, Đavolja Varoš, but also new investments and a lot of work for all people. In Pomoravlje and Niš, we are already working on the design of the Belgrade-Niš-Presevo, modernising the Niš-Dimitrovgrad railway, and we are already working with the Europeans. “, said President Vučić.  The Peace Highway is not an isolated project. It is the first expression of the EU’s new Global Gateway approach. It is thus part of a wider EU concept for which we need to see the full picture, regionally and globally. So Serbia is in a way the forerunner in this initiative. Successful economic integration within the region and with the EU will only be possible with enhanced connectivity. The Peace Highway will have also an economic dimension for growth and jobs“, said Ambassador Giaufret. He also reminded to the fact that the EU is supporting the modernization and reconstruction of the railway Corridor X, section Belgrade – Niš – Preševo, project with importance for regional connectivity, just as this highway effect stretches beyond the starting and finishing point.