The European Investment Bank (EIB) supports the preparation and the implementation of the project for the construction of a new 30 km single carriageway motorway between Peja and Kijeve in Kosovo* with a EUR 1 million technical assistance grant under the Bank’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI) signed last January 17^th in Pristina. This is the first EIB’s ERI technical assistance grant awarded to a project in Kosovo and the second in the Western Balkans region.

The EIB is backing the construction of the motorway, linking the Kosovo capital Pristina to the border with Montenegro (part of the South East Europe Transport Observatory - SEETO Route 6B), with a EUR 80 million loan, signed last May, the largest ever signed by the bank of the European Union in the country so far. Also thanks to the EIB support, the project will help to improve regional transport integration and to further develop the country’s strategic connections with the neighbouring countries.

The project is also supported by a EUR 3,2m grant for preparatory work under the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF), to which the EUR 1 million technical assistance grant under ERI signed today, is additional.

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.