Eurasia Press & News
Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Konuzin has said that Moscow was seriously considering Serbia’s request for one billion euros in aid, Beta news agency reported.
Such an aid package would earmark 200 million euros for the national budget and 400 million euros for infrastructure projects.
Konuzin told Beta news agency that since 2000, Russian investment in Serbia had surpassed the 1 billion dollar mark and are expected to rise further thanks to an energy agreement.
“Cooperation between Serbia and Russia is good and there is potential to step up that cooperation, particularly in the energy sector,” he said, noting that the agreement on visa-free travel between the two countries, which starts today, would allow Russian and Serbian citizens to travel to each others’ countries for up to one month without a visa.
Yesterday, Konuzin met with Srbijagas Director General Dusan Bajatovic to discuss cooperation opportunities.
Konuzin later told a press conference in Novi Sad that Moscow had requested from Serbia a concrete application detailing how the aid money would be used.
Bajatovic told the same press conference that in reference to an agreement signed with Russian gas giant Gazprom, the filling of the Banatski Dvor reservoir would begin on July 1. What remains is for Russia and Srbijagas to reach a consensus on the total capacity at Banatski Dvor.
The Srbijagas CEO said more meetings could be expected next week in regard to the Jugorosgas, the company jointly owned by Gazprom and Srbijagas, and that talks would continue on trying to increase Srbijagas’ stake in the venture. The final formation of the joint venture is expected soon, Bajatovic said.
Bajatovic also said that a technical team organized to complete a final version of the South Stream pipeline feasibility study should be formed as soon as this week.
