The signing of the treaty on the foundation of the South East Europe Transport Community is expected in mid-2017, reported the Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure on December 8.
– Keeping in mind that the treaty is the next step in the development of the Western Balkans’ transportation sector, the logical conclusion is that the seat of the SEE Transport Community secretariat should be located in Belgrade. I have notified European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, of the initiative – said Miodrag Poledica, state secretary at the ministry.
Poledica talked with Bulc and Hahn at the Minister Meeting of the South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) in Brussels on December 6 about the draft Transport Community Treaty, the report says and adds that the countries of the region should define the contents of the treaty in the coming period, whereas the signing is planned for mid-2017.
Commissioner Bulc pointed out that, in 2017, special attention would also be paid to the development of the region’s railway strategy and further steps toward establishing the Transport Community, the report states.
There was also talk at the meeting about the status and plans for further development of transportation infrastructural projects with a special emphasis on traffic safety.
The report reminds that the secretariat of the SEETO has been in Belgrade since 2005, and the initial idea of founding a transport community aimed to enhance the current regional initiative. The memorandum of the foundation of the SEETO was signed in 2004 by the countries of the region and the European Commission.
The Minister Meeting in Brussels was also attended by Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ismir Jusko, Minister of Transportation and Maritime Affairs, Osman Nurkovic, whereas Pristina was represented by Minister of Infrastructure, Lufti Zharku.