Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Tomislav Tolušić said in Dubrovnik on Friday that money for the Pelješac bridge is not a problem and that the contractor for this project might be selected by the end of the year.
At a press conference held after the working meeting with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corine Cretu and the Mayor Dubrovačko-Neretvanski Nikola Dobroslavić, Tolušić highlighted that “Pelješac Bridge is a finished story,“ Hina reports.
“Pelješac Bridge is a completely finished story and it is a matter of day when it will head towards the European Commission. Studies have been completed or are nearing completion, but that is no longer a matter of years but months. This year we might even have a competition for contractor, if there are no appeals,“ Tolušić said.
“Your are in a specific situation, when it comes to connectivity,“ Cretu said. „You are the only country that has to pass through another country to get to your country again. I suggest that the Government of Croatia enters a political discussion with BiH and I believe this project must be of very high quality,“ Crretu said, adding that the project will be evaluated three months after application.
Answering the questions by journalists, Tolušić said that the discussion on the percentage of co-financing for the Pelješac Bridge is still in ongoing.
“Regarding the percentage of co-financing from EU, we must have more inside negotiations about that. There are several solutions with a maximum of 85 percent, which includes all allocation related to the traffic, and if we go for something under 85 percent then we have money for other projects which are being prepared. That will be a decision by the Government and we are still discussing that,“ Tolušić said. Tolušić stressed that all problems with BiH related to the construction of this project have been solved.
Cretu pointed out that in the next four years Croatia has the right to take more than 10 billion EUR from EU funds.
(Source: akta.ba)
