· €5 million EU grant for the supervision of construction works for the new motorway on Corridor Vc.

· The construction of a new Počitelj-Zvirovići subsection will improve economic exchange and living conditions for people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

· In total, the European Union has allocated around €225 million in grants for the construction of Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Ministry of Finance of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed an agreement today for a €5 million EU grant for the supervision of construction works for the Počitelj-Zvirovići subsection of Corridor Vc. Once completed in 2022, it will provide approximately 21 km of continuous motorway between Počitelj and Bijača on the southern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union in Croatia. Corridor Vc is the highest priority transport network in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will contribute to more sustained economic development, regional trade and improved living conditions for over 50% of the country’s population living in the area around the route.

Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador Johann Sattler said: “This new €5 million grant signed today represents another major step towards the completion of the vital Corridor Vc. Better links within the country will deepen economic and cross-border integration, as well as strengthen the development of local transnational Euroregions, creating a virtuous circle of economic growth and deeper European integration. The European Union has so far allocated more than €225 million for the construction of Corridor Vc. Our support will continue alongside the Economic and Investment Plan, which sets up a substantial investment package supporting connectivity in the region.”

The total investment in the 11.07 km-long Počitelj-Zvirovići subsection amounts to €111.2 million, including €5 million in grants from the European Union. The project will lead to the construction of a bridge, a tunnel, three viaducts, an interchange and a toll in Počitelj, the inter-regional interchange of local roads and connection to other motorways, an overpass and three underpasses. The most significant structure already under construction is the colossal Počitelj Bridge stretching 980 metres across the Neretva River, with a maximum height of 97 metres.