The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, presented the program “Leap into the future – Serbia EXPO 2027”, for the period from 2024 to 2027, saying that it is a great day for Serbia.
As part of the program, which was ceremonially presented in the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, key segments of the comprehensive development of the Republic of Serbia were presented, including programs to raise the standard of living of citizens, projects in the fields of science and technology, education, infrastructure development, industrialization, energy, ecology, agriculture, health, tourism, as well as in other areas of national importance.
A special focus was on the concept of planning and building complex infrastructure within the framework of the implementation of the International Specialized Exhibition EXPO 2027.
“This is a big day for Serbia. We have been working on this plan for months. We tried to present to our Serbia everything that we will do in the next four years. The plan that we are presenting to the citizens of Serbia is comprehensive, ambitious, and was done with great enthusiasm,” said Vučić.
Speaking about raising the standard of living of Serbian citizens, Vučić announced that “the average salary in Serbia this year will be 958 euros, in the next year it will exceed one thousand euros (1,056), and that the goal is that in December 2027 the average salary in Serbia will be 1,400 euros”.
He added that in the next four years, the plan is to invest a total of 17.8 billion euros at the level of the one-year total budget. He reminded that in 2012, the GDP of his country was 33 billion euros, and at the end of 2027, the goal is for the GDP to be at least 92.7 billion euros.
Vučić also announced that from April or May of this year, the state will allocate 500,000 dinars to families for the birth of their first child, 600,000 dinars for the second child, while there will be even more help for the third and fourth children. He also announced the reconstruction of maternity hospitals throughout Serbia.
Speaking about infrastructure development, Vučić announced that a total of 6,000 kilometers of roads will be reconstructed in the coming period of four years.
He also announced significant undertakings in the context of strengthening rail and air traffic, the development of airports in several Serbian cities.
He said that it is planned to build another 487 kilometers of highways and expressways by the end of the year, with which a total of 955 kilometers will be built in a period of 15 years.
He announced that in the course of 2024, investments will be made in the renovation and construction of schools and kindergartens.
“This year, we will start the construction of 23 kindergartens in 18 local governments and 67 schools in 55 local governments, and everything will start to be built soon,” emphasized Vučić.
Serbia will continue to invest in sports much more than it has so far, added Vučić, noting that so far stadiums have been built in Leskovac, Loznica and Zaječar, and that Kragujevac will also get a new stadium in the coming period.
Vučić stated that a new “Nikola Tesla” Museum will be built, which will be, as he said, one of the best places to visit and an object that no other country in the world will have.
“It will be much more like our greatest scientist, the Serbian Nikola Tesla. I don’t think anyone else in the world will have it in such a way,” said Vučić.
Minister of Finance Siniša Mali spoke to the organization of the EXPO 2027 exhibition, noting that Serbia will be the center of the world in 2027.
“We will build a fair complex, then a residential complex with 1,500 apartments, an aquatic center and the National Stadium. We expect around three million visitors. This is certainly the biggest development project for our country for the next few years, the works started in July 2023. If we are dedicated, we will be able to realize all this”, said Mali.
Speaking about the National Stadium, Mali revealed that it will have as many as 52,000 seats, and that it will be built according to UEFA standards. It will be ready by the end of 2026.
“What is important to me is that this big project pushes new investments. We are also working on a big historical project, which is the Belgrade Metro. The first two lines will be ready by 2030,” said Mali, AA writes.
