Interview: Participation in BRI boosts Serbia's overall development -- official

People wait for trains at Belgrade railway station in Belgrade, Serbia, April 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Serbia is proud of its participation in the BRI, under which Chinese companies have undertaken many infrastructure projects in the country, Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic told Xinhua in an interview.

BELGRADE, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Serbia's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has boosted overall development of the country and its neighbors, said Serbia's Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic.

Serbia is proud of its participation in the BRI, under which Chinese companies have undertaken many infrastructure projects in the country, the official told Xinhua in an interview.

Serbian officials are impressed by China's transport infrastructure development and see the country as a model for economic growth, Vesic said.

"When you connect the country with railways and roads, then you have an easier population migration, you have greater mobility, and you have an even development of the region. So, everything that China has done, and what we in Serbia are, of course, trying to do, and because of that, we are recording quite high economic growth," he said.

Vesic cited the high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest as an example of successful BRI cooperation.

"China, Hungary and Serbia are involved in this project, facilitating a high-speed train connection between our capital cities, Belgrade and Budapest, in less than three hours," he said.

China and Serbia inked a free trade agreement in last October, which, Vesic said, would offer great opportunities for Serbian and European enterprises and boost the region's exports to China.

Serbia is interested in developing smart, environmentally sustainable infrastructure and electric vehicles, Vesic said, expressing his hope to cooperate with China in these fields.

"We are developing the Serbian-Chinese Science and Technology Park in Borca to attract more Chinese companies and collaborate where China excels globally."