- Government of Montenegro
Montenegro and China sign new economic and technic...
Montenegro and China sign new economic and technical cooperation agreement
Podgorica, Montenegro (8 May 2018) -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Milutin Simović and Ambassador of China to Montenegro Cui Zhiwei signed earlier today the new agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the two governments.
The agreement stipulates that the Government of China will allocate additional grants amounting to 20 million yuan (about EUR 2.63 million) for the reconstruction of Đurđevića Tara Bridge and other projects. The feasibility study for the reconstruction project, based on the agreement on economic and technical cooperation signed in May 2017, had been developed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and forwarded to the Chinese Ministry of Trade for verification, after which it will be submitted to the Government of Montenegro.
According to information from the Chinese side, the feasibility study shows that the initially allocated funds under the 2017 agreement, also in the amount of 20 million yuan, will not be sufficient to reconstruct the Bridge, which is why the Chinese side has decided to allocate an additional 20 million yuan and sign a new agreement with the Government of Montenegro.
During the meeting with Ambassador Cui, DPM Simović thanked the Chinese Government for the additional donation, stressing that he welcomes the great attention the Government of China has given to the reconstruction of the Đurđevića Tara Bridge. He noted he is hopeful that all preparatory works and procedures will soon be completed and that the reconstruction works will start soon.
The Deputy Prime Minister also stated that it has been repeatedly stated that the Bridge represents a symbol of friendship between the two countries, which is reflected in the emotions that Chinese tourists and Chinese citizens working on projects in Montenegro show during their visit to the Bridge.
"Symbolically, the Đurđevića Tara Bridge connects a very large geographical distance, the one between Montenegro and China. It is a symbol of common anti-fascist values, the sacrifices that the two countries have submitted in the fight against fascism and the occupiers - for the freedom of their peoples and states," said Deputy Prime Minister Simović.
On the occasion of the signing of the Agreement on Provision of Professional Services between Clinical Centre of Montenegro and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), the Deputy Prime Minister said that this is an additional confirmation of the confidence that foreign citizens working in Montenegro have in the Clinical Centre and health services provided by Montenegro's system.
"We thank the Chinese side for their confidence in the health system of Montenegro. With this support, in the total amount of 500 thousand euros, the bottleneck in the Clinical Centre will be overcome, the capacity of intensive care will be expanded, and the quality of services will be improved," Deputy Prime Minister Simović underlined.
Chinese Ambassador Cui expressed satisfaction with the signing of the healthcare and new economic and technical cooperation agreements, which testifies to the genuine friendship and cooperation between the two countries. A new donation, amounting to 20 million yuan, will be used by the Chinese Ministry of Trade to finance the reconstruction of the Đurđevića Tara Bridge, as the bridge, in the Chinese Ambassador's words, is at the heart of the Montenegrin and Chinese peoples, and the new agreement will speed up all necessary procedures to start the reconstruction works.
PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO