Serbia’s E763 highway boosts regional development with help of China

As Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Serbia, a strategic partner since 2009, his presence highlights the Belt and Road Initiative's (BRI) significant impact on Serbia's infrastructure, particularly through the E763 highway.

This vital artery, connecting Belgrade with Montenegro, marks Serbia's first major infrastructure collaboration with China. The project is transforming transportation across Serbia and the Balkans, boosting regional development, and showcasing the prowess of Chinese construction firms internationally.

Spanning approximately 265 kilometers, the E763 highway is a critical component of both Serbia's national network and the broader European transportation system. As the Serbian section of the pan-European transport Corridor XI, this highway is enhancing connectivity and promoting economic growth and integration across the Balkans.

Srdjan Ajdinovic, a Serbian project staffer also known by his Chinese name "Gao Shan," which means high mountain, has been instrumental in the project since 2020. Residing in Cacak with his wife, Ajdinovic credits the BRI for significantly changing his life.

"I had the opportunity to meet many people, made a lot of friends, and found some professional partners, which are precious resources. Being a member of a large team, I feel very proud and honored," Ajdinovic reflected.

The E763 highway's impact extends beyond Ajdinovic's story, affecting over four million people along its route.

The recent opening of the Belgrade-Surcin segment has integrated major southern Serbian cities into Belgrade's one-hour economic zone, facilitating smoother travel and efficient freight movements throughout the region.

"The highway has already benefited me personally, not to mention the locals who have been waiting for about fifty years for the country to build a highway for them, including my family, my neighbors, my friends. Now parts of the highway are open, which have already brought great benefits," Ajdinovic added.

The ongoing construction of the Preljina-Pozega section involves challenging conditions, with nearly 60 percent of the project comprising bridges and tunnels, including the record-setting 2.9-kilometer-long Laz Tunnel.

Despite these hurdles, the project maintains a 100 percent quality rate, a testament to the effective collaboration between Chinese and Serbian teams.

Yang Dong, general manager for both the China Communications Construction Company Serbia Branch and China Road and Bridge Corporation Central and Eastern Europe Regional Center, highlighted the collaborative efforts.

"We strictly adhere to Serbian and European standards to hone our construction techniques and methods. While our team has grown in the process, the Serbian side has adapted to the Chinese practices, especially in some aspects of bridge and tunnel construction, where they have learned a lot from Chinese experiences and methods," said Yang.

The E763 highway is poised to be a safe and fast route to the Montenegrin coast, crucial for Balkan transportation.

With the Preljina-Pozega section expected to open by late 2024, the project continues to drive regional development, symbolizing the "Chinese speed" at which this international cooperation propels Serbia's national progress and improves local livelihoods.

Serbia’s E763 highway boosts regional development with help of China

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi made a hard landing in Iran's northwestern province of East Azerbaijan on Sunday, state-run IRIB TV reported.

Raisi’s helicopter was part of a convoy of three helicopters which was on its way from Khoda Afarin County, where Raisi had attended the inauguration ceremony of a storage dam along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, to the provincial capital Tabriz where Raisi was scheduled to attend the inauguration of a petrochemical complex, according to the report.

"On May 19 local time, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Raisi made a hard landing in East Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. According to our investigation in Iran, the incident took place near the Varzaghan area of East Azerbaijan. From the live broadcast on Iranian national television, we can see that the entire area of the accident site is in a state of severe foggy weather, which caused great trouble to the search and rescue work. In addition to Iranian President Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and other officials and entourage were also on the helicopter," said Li Jiannan, a CCTV reporter in Iran.

Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi attributed the helicopter's rough landing to the unfavorable weather conditions, which he said also impacted search and rescue work.

The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society Pirhossein Kolivand told IRIB TV that 40 rapid reaction teams had rushed to the scene and were monitoring the region while noting that there were difficulties in reaching the scene by land or by air due to the mountainous terrain and the bad weather conditions.

Kolivand, however, said drones were being used to search the region.

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri has ordered the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the police to make all-out efforts to search for and rescue the president and his accompanying team, said the Iran Newspaper.

Speaking to IRIB TV, Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said medical teams had been stationed near the possible crash site.

Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi said in a post on social media platform X that Vice President Mohsen Mansouri and several cabinet members were on their way to Tabriz after a meeting in Tehran.

Following the incident, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed his hope that President Raisi and accompanying officials would be able to return home safely, saying that everyone should pray for them. Iranian people do not need to worry, and the work of the country and the government will not be affected, he said.

Following reports of the incident, leaders of neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan and Iraq, expressed concern over the developments and said they were ready to assist in search and rescue efforts.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day, saying that Türkiye is following the incident and hopes that Iranian President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian and other Iranian officials are safe and healthy. Türkiye has taken action to provide support for the search and rescue operation, the statement said.

Iranian president's helicopter makes hard landing in NW province