László Palkovics, Minister of Technology and Industry, said the upgrade project of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line, now underway, will be a “benchmark” as this is “the first Chinese-Hungarian development project implemented under the European Union’s rules in cooperation with Chinese partners in Hungary”. Minister Palkovics said the project, worth a total 2 billion dollars and scheduled to be complete by 2025, will facilitate fast shipping of Chinese goods to Europe via Greek ports. The minister said the renewed railway line would be part of the Silk Road linking Asia with Europe, adding that it would be a substitute for another section, through Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, which could not currently be used. He noted that he had signed an agreement with his Serbian, Bulgarian and Turkish counterparts that the middle section of the same route, via the Bosphorus, would be linked to the Budapest-Belgrade line. He said it was in Hungary’s interest that Asian goods should reach Europe via Hungary.
Photo credit: MTI