At the last session, the Government approved the Bill on Confirmation of the Agreement between the Government of Montenegro and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the construction of an interstate bridge over the Tara River.
As it was repeated, the bridge will be built at the junction of the M3 highway at Šćepan polje (Montenegro) and the M-18 highway at Hum (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and connecting border sections.
– The agreement, which was signed in Kranj on July 5, 2021 , defined the basic principles of cooperation between the signatory parties in connection with joint action towards potential interested partners (financiers), with the aim of successful implementation of the given project and in the shortest possible time, in order to contribute improving the traffic connection between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and used the opportunities provided by the Economic and Investment Plan of the European Commission for the Western Balkans – it is stated in the Government announcement.
For the financing of this project, according to preliminary estimates, around 2.5 million EUR is needed, of which each party bears 50% of the total costs, with the tendency to provide appropriate grants from available EU funds.
During the discussion at the session, the Minister of Capital Investments, Ervin Ibrahimović, stated that Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina will jointly, as two countries, better compete for European funds, especially when it comes to European Commission funds for the Western Balkans.
– I think it’s a good story and I believe in a positive outcome – added Ibrahimović.
Minister of Agriculture Vladimir Joković said that everyone should contribute to the construction of that bridge as soon as possible.
– I believe that there is no such bridge in Europe, that connects the two cities of Sarajevo and Podgorica, and that trucks cannot cross it. The road from Šćepan Polje to Foča to Brod is disastrous. When someone comes from Bosnia, especially for the first time to Montenegro, and finds that bridge, they probably wonder where I went, and if there really are such bridges – said Joković, local media writes.