The Serbian government signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launching a project to bring broadband Internet access to rural areas of the country.

The agreement on the 1.7 million Euro donation was signed by Telecommunications Minister Tatjana Matic, European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovic and EBRD Western Balkans Director Szuszanna Hargitai.

Matic told reporters that the project will bring broadband Internet to two thirds of the households that do not have any Internet access. “The introduction of broadband Internet will raise education in Serbia to a higher level,” she said. “This donation is intended for the drafting of the technical documents for 90,000 households in 600 settlements in Serbia,” she said.

Joksimovic said that the entire project is worth 76 million Euro. “The project was nominated last summer when we drew up 12 big infrastructure projects for the Western Balkans economic investment plan,” she said. “This project touches on development policy goals in three chapters that we will negotiate on with the European Union,” she said.

Hargitai told reporters that the EBRD priorities in Serbia include the competitiveness of private industry and transition to a greener, digitalized and inclusive economy.