The meeting had two sessions: Transport networks: state of play and future perspectives and Challenges and perspectives for the post-2020 period in the field of transport infrastructure investments.

On the behalf of the National Assembly’s Committee on Spatial Planning, Transport, Infrastructure and Telecommunications the meeting was attended by Deputy Chairperson Stefana Miladinovic and deputy member Ivana Nikolic.

In the session on transport networks MP Stefana Miladinovic highlighted Serbia’s commitment to the Connectivity Agenda, completion to the most important infrastructural projects in the country and drafting projects of national and regional importance, with a special focus on intensifying both transport and energy interconnection.

Stefana Miladinovic reminded the attending that the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia had in late 2017 ratified the Transport Community Treaty which should contribute to the systemic and sustainable development of transport infrastructure in the region and stressed the Serbian parliaments’ active role in the harmonization of national legislation and regulation with EU standards in the field of transport.

In session two, transport infrastructure investments, MP Ivana Nikolic said that Serbia and the Western Balkan countries face the challenge of securing the funds needed for infrastructural projects, especially in the implementation of the public-private partnership model.

Speaking at the international meeting, the Serbian delegation members emphasized the importance of attending meetings of this kind for the Serbia-EU pre-accession talks and the country’s geo-strategic position on the map of European transport networks.

The meeting was chaired by the Chairwoman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism Karima Delli, and the attending were also addressed by EU Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources Gunter Oettinger.