Vucic and Borisov: Generations of Serbs and Bulgarians will benefit, highway and pipeline for future

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic says that joint projects by Serbia and Bulgaria - the Belgrade-Sofia highway and the Balkan Stream gas pipeline - are essential for both countries, and he especially pointed out that, thanks to that gas pipeline, Serbia will secure gas supply in the long term.

"We visited two important joint projects, the completion of the highway from the border of the two countries and Sofia, and then we would have the Belgrade-Sofia highway, taking 3 hours. This is something that neither Serbs nor Bulgarians could even have dreamed of for many decades," Vucic said as he addressed journalists after touring the route of the future gas pipeline Balkan Stream in Kursumski Vodopadi together with Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov.

See what Balkan Stream looks like:

He added that the construction of the Balkan Stream is essential for the future of Serbia and Bulgaria. Vucic said that he visited the works on the construction of the highway near Slivnica and Dragoman and personally saw how successfully the works are progressing and congratulated the Bulgarians.

He said that he and Borisov then went to the northern part of central Bulgaria, where they toured works on the construction of Balkan Stream, which is essential for the future of Bulgaria and Serbia.

"I'm not sure that people in both countries understand the importance of that investment now. The construction of this gas pipeline will mean growth of the economy and industrial production for both countries, as well as providing gas supplies for households in the long term, which is one of the most important energy sources," stated Vucic.

He stressed that the gas pipeline has, as he said, strategic and in-depth significance for progress of investments in both countries.

"I saw how fast works are being done and how well Bulgarians do it and I hope that in a short period of time we will complete connecting the Bulgarian gas pipeline with the Serbian gas pipeline in the territory of Zajecar," said Vucic and added that Serbia will soon build a gas interconnector from Nis to Bulgaria with the financial support from the EU.

"I am grateful to Boyko Borisov, because I saw more today than during all previous trips," Vucic stated.

Vucic thanked Borisov for supporting Serbia on the European path, which, as he said, is not always easy, and added that Boyko is the holder of the highest order given by the Republic of Serbia and has an obligation to help Serbia. He thanked the prime minister of Bulgaria, who, as he said, has invested a lot of effort, energy and enthusiasm in creating best possible relations between Serbia and Bulgaria, and Serbs and Bulgarians.

He stressed that Serbia perceives Bulgaria as a truly friendly country, and the Bulgarian people as brotherly

The president emphasized that no one in Serbia would say a single ugly word about Bulgarians and Bulgaria, and that Serbs perceive Bulgarians as a brotherly people and Bulgaria as a friendly state.

Vucic added that you will not be able to find someone in Serbia who will say something bad about Bulgaria if you looked for them with a magnifying glass.

"All this that Borisov has organized speaks sufficiently to that closeness," Vucic added.

"With applause from Belgrade, Moscow and the US"

Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov pointed out today that works on the Balkan Stream gas pipeline through his country did not stop during the coronavirus crisis.

The project, the Bulgarian prime minister points out, will benefit both countries while future generations will be able to benefit financially.

He said the project is being implemented with the help of the European Commission, respecting all the requirements of the Third Liberalization Package, "with applause from Belgrade, Moscow and the United States."

"I showed the Serbian president the new expansion we are working on. We are working on two large compressor stations that will operate under 64-bar pressure. Until now, the throughput was 22 bar, and it will go up to 70 bar, so that our Serbian friends could collect transit taxes from higher throughput," Borisov explained in a joint address to the media with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic after visiting the works on the gas pipeline.

He pointed out that work is also being done on an interconnector with Greece, and that the entire Balkan Stream project will guarantee diversification, because Russian, American, Qatari, Turkish and gas from other parts of the world will be able to pass through the gas pipeline.

Borisov pointed out that this is a fully Bulgarian investment.

He recalled South Stream was stopped by Brussels due to corrupt practices in tenders, but that everything is transparent regarding Balkan Stream.

In that regard, he pointed out that Greek companies, as well as a company from Saudi Arabia, are involved in the works worth 250 million euros, invested by Bulgaria, and that there are Italians, Greeks and Arabs among about 1,200 workers.

He pointed out that coronavirus led to a project delay of two to three months, and announced that compressors would arrive in October for the compressor stations that they visited today.

He stressed that the coronavirus took many human lives, caused great damage to the economy around the whole world, but that now is the time for Serbian and Bulgarian people to socialize and visit again.

"We didn't choose June 1, Children's Day, for this visit for nothing. We are big kids, we love to play. So we flew in a helicopter and then rode in an SUV. It was extremely pleasant. Symbolically, this abolishes the quarantine. And I hope that with all the symbolism, we will manage to forget the Covid 19 crisis," said Borisov.

He added that it is time to return to normal life and work, stressing that during the current crisis, works on the route of the Balkan Stream did not stop.

(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug