Minister talks transport strategy, EU funding possibilities

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Sinisa Hajdas Doncic said on Friday that one of his ministry's main challenges was drawing up a national transport strategy for the 2015-25 period, which would be the basic document in submitting projects for European Union funding.

We have to make sure through the EU transport strategy that our corridors become a constituent part of European corridors, he said at the Invest Forum in Opatija, talking about investment in the transport infrastructure.

The minister said some transport infrastructure projects were nearing completion - part of the rail projects, part of the Rijeka Port and airport projects - and that others would be ready in 18 months.

Eighty-five per cent of the EUR 3 billion to be invested in the Rijeka rail route can come from EU funding and these investments are expected to come through by early 2019, the minister said.

He went on to say that work was under way to increase the capacity of the Rijeka seaport, adding that building a lowland railroad would make sense only if a new container terminal was built on the island on Krk.

Hajdas Doncic said a business consultant for concessions for Croatian motorways was expected to be chosen in a couple of weeks, adding that motorways would be given into concession only if an optimum price was achieved.

The priority is also the reorganisation of the Croatian Motorways and Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway companies, he said.

At the forum, Renato Pijatti of the Italian investment bank Finest said the bank was willing to promote investment in tourism in the northern Adriatic and set up a company in Croatia.


(Hina)