Tender for selection of contractor for construction of highway from Grabovica to Macedonian border in summer – investment worth 472m EUR

International tender for selection of contractor for construction of highway from Grabovnica to Macedonian border, 96.5 km long, will be announced prior to summer. This was announced yesterday (April 20, 2007) by Evripidis Stilianidis, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece. Total value fo the job, which should be completed prior to end of 2011, is 472m EUR. Of that amount, Greece will set aside 100m EUR from "Hellenic" program, while the rest of the money will be provided by Serbia from privatization incomes and budget.

Stilianidis says that Greece has already prepared advance payment in amount of 12m EUR and that that money is already in Belgrade, while another 20m EUR are set aside in Athens. Serbian side, as he said, should choose the national coordinator and to sign the agreement with the Greek government consulting company "Egnatia", in order to have tender documentation prepared as soon as possible. By the way, this company has made the feasibility study for this job for free.

According to Stilianidis, Serbia should sign the agreement as soon as possible, because any other variant would postpone the commencement of works for at least three years.