Serbia - February 22, 2025 Serbia held an opening ceremony of two new sections of the Chinese-built Danubian Corridor on Saturday to mark the important progress of the 67.94-km-long corridor built along the Danubian River. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian government officials, representatives from the Chinese Embassy, and contractor Shandong Hi-Speed attended the ceremony. Describing the expressway as "a lifeline" that will boost the local economy, Vucic said that the new sections, which connect Eastern Serbia to Corridor 10 highway, are set to attract investments and boost tourism in the region. Noting that Serbia has built 589 km of highways and expressways since 2014, Vucic expressed deep gratitude to China's contribution, underscoring China's enduring support and friendship to Serbia. "Serbia regards China as an ironclad friend. Chinese President Xi Jinping cares about the development of Serbia. We are extremely grateful for this. These achievements are all attributed to the profound friendship between China and Serbia," Vucic said. Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming said that the opening of the new sections is proof of Serbia's steady economic progress and the strong partnership between Serbia and China. He expressed optimism that the expressway's completion would create new opportunities for regional development, and pave the way for further collaborative projects. Currently, 31.85 km of the total 67.94-km expressway are operational. This includes 21-km stretch from the bridge over the Jezava River to the end of the Pozarevac bypass, and a 10.85-km section from the start of the Veliko Gradiste bypass to Ponikve. Construction is continuing on the remaining segments. Once fully completed next year, the Danubian Corridor is expected to play a pivotal role in bolstering Serbia's national transportation infrastructure and boosting the country's economic growth, especially in Eastern Serbia. The video shows: 1. Opening ceremony of two sections of Chinese-built Danubian Corridor, officials 2. Various of board showing route map of new sections, Chinese workers 3. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Aleksandar Vucic, Serbian President (ending with shot 4): "Serbia regards China as an ironclad friend. Chinese President Xi Jinping cares about the development of Serbia. We are extremely grateful for this. These achievements are all attributed to the profound friendship between China and Serbia." 4. Aerial shots of Chinese-built new road, traffic on road [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]