Completed the reconstruction of the railway line Virpazar - Sutomore in the Sozina tunnel

Regarding the completion of the reconstruction of the railway line on the Virpazar - Sutomore section in the Sozina tunnel in the length of 6712 meters, minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Osman Nurković, pointed out yesterday that the transport sector in Montenegro together with the environment sector is predominant in the number of projects financed through available IPA funds.

As he said, he is witnessing a large number of projects whose completion has been completed, or is under way, especially in the railway sector.

"Funds provided through various available European funds are of undeniable value for Montenegro and therefore we, in the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, continue and persist, in order to respect European procedures, to ensure in the complex procedures the maximum utilization of European funds", emphasized Nurković.

The Head of the European Union Delegation in Montenegro, Herman Špic, explained that the funds spent in reconstruction, worth 4.3 million euros, return the rail to its projected standards and added that the trains would go faster and safer. All this is in line with the objectives of EU transport policy, which has not changed from the 1992 White Paper: Stimulating safe, ecological and efficient transport throughout Europe, strengthening the internal market for goods and citizens' rights to travel freely across the EU.

General Director for European Funds at the Ministry of European Affairs, Ivana Glišević Đurović, said that the EU accession process is beneficial to the entire Montenegrin society, and that the most concrete effects are visible through the implementation of important infrastructure projects financed by the European Union through non-refundable support.

"The completion of the works on this project will contribute to the modernization of the railway line Bar - Vrbnica, which as a railway route 4 is recognized as part of the main EU transport network, ie its extension to the Western Balkans. The investment of more than 4.3 million euros in the reconstruction of the railway and Sozina tunnel is certainly an additional step towards fulfilling the standards specified in negotiating chapters 14 and 21 - Transport Policy and Trans-European Networks, said Đurović.

She stressed that the successful implementation of this project confirms that Montenegro has both knowledge and skills not only for planning but also for project implementation, as well as for seriously preparing for the future use of much more plentiful European structural and investment funds that will be available after accession to the EU.

At the very end, Almer Kalač, Director of Public Works Directorate, addressed the audience, who pointed out that this was a very important project for Montenegro and that the Directorate would be equally serious about every future project.

"I believe that in this way the Public Works Department justified the accreditation it has received for the realization of such projects and I think we will do it further," Kalač emphasized.

The program consists of five infrastructure projects, three in the field of environment and two in the field of traffic. In addition to infrastructure projects, several technical assistance projects are implemented from the Program.

Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs