We helped to develop the country’s strategic connections with its neighbouring countries. One key example is the construction of the new 30 km single carriageway motorway on Route 6b between Peja and Kijeve, which is part of the South-East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) Route 6b, linking Pristina to the border with Montenegro. Alongside the EIB €80 million financing, which is the largest loan ever signed by Kosovo with an International Financial Institution, an €3.2m grant under WBIF complemented by a €1m grant under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), has supported the preparation and the implementation of the project.

We also financed the modernisation of national railways to integrate it into the Orient/East-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor, linking the Western Balkans to Austria, Greece and Bulgaria, which is part of the Trans-European Transport network (TEN-T). Besides promoting connectivity in the region and with the EU, the project helps to improve passengers’ experience, freight capacity and to reduce CO₂ emissions, thus bringing benefits to the environment and, ultimately, people’s lives.

* This designation is without prejudice to the positions expressed by the EU Member States on Kosovo’s status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion of 22 July 2010 on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.