A new section of Serbia’s international E-763 highway named ‘Milos the Great’ has opened to traffic.

The 62.5km highway section in Ljig municipality, 80km south-west of Belgrade, was built by China’s Shandong Hi-speed Group and is expected to attract investors to cities and towns along the route.

The Chinese-built section extends from Obrenovac to Ljig municipality. It was executed by the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure; the Ministry of Finance and the Serbian Government.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the country has come a long way over the past several years, rising from the brink of bankruptcy to the status of one of the most attractive investment destinations globally.

He said: “Much of the success was achieved in cooperation with our Chinese friends.”

During the opening ceremony, Vucic highlighted the importance of road connections for the future development of Serbia and announced new infrastructure projects with Chinese companies.

The new E-763 section has a projected speed of 130km/h and is 28.4m-wide. With 42 bridges and overpasses, it aims to reduce traffic on the local road, which previously was the only route for both cargo transport and passengers.

Vucic also announced the construction of the Sumadija highway, which will connect northern and central Sumadija and will be called Vozd Karadjordje.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Chinese ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo and representatives from the Shandong Hi-Speed Group, along with officials from Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.