The deed of donation from the Swiss Confederation is worth about CHF 21.5 million, and thanks to it over the past five years the water supply and drainage systems in the town of Delnice and the municipalities of Fužine and Brod Moravice in the Gorski Kotar region have been reconstructed and expanded.
The planned construction works are 86% completed, it was said at the presentation in Delnice. Sixty kilometres of water supply networks, several water reservoirs and pumping stations, as well as monitoring and control centres were built.
Ambassador Hammer expressed satisfaction with the level of the project realisation, saying it was a good basis for the continuation of cooperation. The Swiss Confederation has also provided about CHF 21.5 million for the continuation of the reconstruction of the water supply and drainage system in the municipalities of Ravna Gora, Lokve, Skrad and Mrkopalj, also in Gorski Kotar. The construction works will start after a needs analysis, the obtaining of all permits and public calls, and completion is expected by 2029.
We want to help by improving the quality of life and making it possible for citizens to stay in Gorski Kotar, said Hammer.
The visit to Gorski Kotar was organised on the occasion of the signing of a framework agreement for the implementation of the new, second Swiss contribution to Croatia in the area of cohesion, which took place on Tuesday. The second, CHF 45.7 million, deed of donation to Croatia is mostly intended for Gorski Kotar. With it, Switzerland wants to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries through the exchange of experiences, knowledge and values in the areas of research and innovation, water supply and drainage, palliative care and the civil society.
The construction works carried out on the water supply and drainage system so far have significantly improved the situation in Gorski Kotar, and this has contributed to improving the living conditions and has positive demographic and economic effects, said the director of the Hrvatske Vode water management company's section in Rijeka, Gordan Gašparović.
Heads of local government and utility companies also took part in the visit.
(CHF 1 = HRK 7.690062)