-Serbia and all other countries in this region need to develop an international cooperation and to coordinate their activities, so that reform process and railway reconstruction in South Eastern Europe can be continued successfully. States and railway administrations can develop only in cooperation with the region – said World Bank Director for Serbia Loup Brefort today, during the opening of Worlds Bank regional report presentation “Railway reform in South Eastern Europe and Turkey: on the right track?” in the business premises of “Serbian Railways” in Belgrade.

Holding a speech during the presentation dedicated to Serbian railway management, Brefort highlighted that railway strategic significance is extremely big, but he mentioned also that there is a great competition, because investments in road traffic grow every day.

– Using this study we have defined railway sector issues in the region in order to assist in their solution, and railways in this part of Europe showed great interest in the results of our report- said Brefort and gave his recognition to “Serbian Railways” for the achieved results in spite of all difficulties they face to.
– Serbian railways have full support of the state in common tasks as well as in development projects – said Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Milutin Mrkonjic, directing himself to World Bank representatives and Serbian railway administration.

-“Serbian Railways” became Closed Joint Stock Company, so there is no public railway enterprise in Europe left anymore. Our goal is to finish successfully and as soon as possible initiated reforms, in order to achieve good results relating organizational reconstruction and railway modernization in short time. We have support of the state, we have financial assets, good atmosphere, and we are assured that we can achieve all goals set in the future – said Director General of “Serbian Railways” Milovan Markovic.

The report “Railway reform in South Eastern Europe and Turkey: on the right track?” was presented by leading specialist of the World Bank for railway, Vasil Olivsi. The structure and current condition of railways in South Eastern Europe, comparative indicators and their analysis regarding transportation, infrastructure, financial elements and other significant factors of their traffic and business management, as well as appropriate conclusions are described in this study.

M.S. Zoran Masal, Deputy Director General for Joint Affairs, spoke about reconstruction of Serbian railways, and Predrag Jankovic, Deputy Director General for Infrastructure and Operations, about condition and perspectives of railway infrastructure in Serbia.