Chinese companies started the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest railway with a total length of 350 kilometers. The new rail line will allow people and goods to travel between the capitals of Serbia and Hungary in around two hours. The Serbian part of the railway will be completed in three years, while the Hungarian part will be completed and put into service before 2025.
Construction of the new section of Serbia's Belgrade-Budapest railway began with a ceremony on Monday. The ceremony, attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, took place in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Work on the 108-kilometer section of the high-speed rail stretching from Novi Sad to the Kelebija border crossing in Northern Serbia was initiated by Vucic, Szijjarto, Chen Bo and a Chinese representative at the push of a button.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vucic stressed the importance of the railway for Serbia's future development and praised the friendly relations with both China and Hungary. “We will enjoy it and it will benefit both with construction and with higher wages and pensions, higher living standards and a better future for our children,” Vucic said. Vucic said the Serbian part of the railway will be completed in three years, while Szijarto said the Hungarian section of the railway, which is 167 kilometers long, should be completed before 2025.
In his speech via a video link, Ning Jizhe, Vice Chairman of the China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), congratulated both countries on the progress they have made in the construction of the Belgrade-Budapest railway. Ning said the project is “the flagship project of cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) and an important part of the European transport corridor and the China-Europe Land and Sea Express Route.”
Source: China International Radio
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