Serbia, Croatia sign Agreement on navigation on internal waterways

Serbian Minister of Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjic and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Bozidar Kalmeta signed on October 13, 2009 the Agreement on navigation and waterways on internal waters and their technical maintenance.

rkonjic said at a press conference held at the Serbian government after the signing of the agreement that talks on improvement of cooperation between Serbian and Croatian railway companies will be continued in Zagreb in 15 days.

He confirmed that talks on cooperation of the Croatian and Serbian companies Rade Koncar and Gosa will also be launched in Zagreb.

Kalmeta said there are unresolved issues between the two railway companies because of the Serbian company’s debt of around €22 million including interest. However, since the interest rate was written off in line with the agreement from 1995, the total debt now stands at between €7.5 and €8 million.

He voiced his belief that expert teams will find a solution to this issue over the next two weeks in Zagreb, announcing the possibility of the joint construction of a regional railway.

Kalmeta said that Croatia will soon issue 1,500 universal transport licences to Serbian shipping companies, announcing that the Interstate Committee will meet within the next fourteen days to specify further steps regarding the licence issuing process.

He also noted that a delegation from the Serbian Ministry of Infrastructure, headed by Minister Milutin Mrkonjic, will continue talks on road traffic.