Minister for the National Investment Plan Verica Kalanovic (R2), Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas (R1) and Xue Tiezhu (L2), general manager of the market development department of the China Road and Bridge Corporation, sign the preliminary agreement on the construction of Zemun-Borca Bridge which is to be named China Bridge, in Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 23, 2009. Representatives of Serbia and China signed here on Friday a preliminary agreement on the construction of a bridge over Danube and connected roads.(Xinhua/Dai Zhenhua)

BELGRADE, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of Serbia and China signed here on Friday a preliminary agreement on the construction of a bridge over Danube and connected roads.

The preliminary agreement to build Zemun-Borca Bridge, which is to be named China Bridge, was signed by Serbian Minister for the National Investment Plan Verica Kalanovic, Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas and Xue Tiezhu, general manager of the market development department of the China Road and Bridge Corporation.

Mladjan Dinkic, deputy prime minister and minister of economy and regional development, told a press conference after the signing ceremony that the construction would be launched in mid-2010 and completed by 2013, while the cost of the whole project is estimated at 170 million euros (255.3 million U.S. dollars), in which 144.5 million euros (217 million dollars) will be secured from the Chinese loan and 25.5 million euros (38.3 million dollars)will be earmarked by Serbia.

This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects realized in cooperation with China so far, and also very important for the region, said Dinkic, adding that the bridge would significantly ease the traffic strain in Belgrade, while the transport of goods would take place out of the city.

The preliminary agreement was signed on the basis of an agreement on economic and technical cooperation for infrastructure construction between Serbia and China, which was signed on Aug. 20this year in Beijing during Serbian President Boris Tadic's visit to China.

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic (R), and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Wei Jinghua (C) attend the signing ceremony of the preliminary agreement on the construction of Zemun-Borca Bridge which is to be named China Bridge, in Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 23, 2009.(Xinhua/Dai Zhenhua)