LJUBLJANA, May 10 (Hina) - The construction of the Adriatic-Ionic highway, although very important for Croatia, especially regarding tourism, is at this time not among priorities of the Stability Pact projects. It must be constructed
gradually with the cooperation of other countries, the coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek, said in Ljubljana on Friday.
LJUBLJANA, May 10 (Hina) - The construction of the Adriatic-Ionic
highway, although very important for Croatia, especially regarding
tourism, is at this time not among priorities of the Stability Pact
projects. It must be constructed gradually with the cooperation of
other countries, the coordinator of the Stability Pact for
Southeastern Europe, Erhard Busek, said in Ljubljana on Friday.
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On the other hand, one should hope that hindrances to the completion
of road infrastructure connecting Croatia with Central Europe via
Slovenia will be overcome, Busek said in an exclusive interview for
Hina. Busek is participating at an International Press Institute
congress in Ljubljana, where, besides for freedom of the media
issue, participants are discussing regional cooperation and
economic recovery.
Openly speaking, this highway is important, but not urgent, and not
on the list of priorities at this time. Primarily because we must
develop connections on existing corridors, and also because it is
very expensive, more expensive than the overall amount of funds
donated for the Stability Pact, Busek said.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Montenegrin President Milo
Djukanovic stressed during a panel discussion on the stabilisation
of Southeast Europe at the IPI congress that economic and
infrastructure projects such as the Adriatic-Ionic highway, would
contribute to the economic revival of countries in the region. At
the same time, these projects would unburden the international
community from concerns that peace in the unstable part of the
Balkans should in the future be guaranteed by their administrative
protectorates and military powers.
Asked to comment on Mesic's and Djukanovic's suggestions on more
funds being set aside for the new corridor, Busek recalled that this
corridor was not among already defined international ones.
As an Austrian spending his summer vacations on the Adriatic, I
understand the importance of the highway for Croatia, but I would
recommend the "step-by-step" approach for the construction of the
highway, as well as cooperation with Greece, Albania,
Montenegro..., Busek said.
He said that he personally supported the idea, but because of a lack
of funds and difficulties in coordinating all factors
participating in the reconstruction of the region, at the moment
the Pact had other priorities.
It is very important for Croatia that we are very focused on the
connection between Maribor and the Croatian border, since this is
important for Zagreb to become connected with Central Europe, he
said.
Busek also said that an important infrastructure project was the
improvement of transport between Trieste and Belgrade.
The Croatian side is working on this project, for which we are very
grateful, Busek said.
Asked about Slovenia's place in the Stability Pact and how road
connections between Slovenia and Croatia were developing, Busek
said that the information he had indicated that the completion of
roads between the two countries had been blocked. He, however, did
not know how to answer the question whether the blockade was of
financial or political nature.
(hina) lml sb