On June 12, 2026, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Brcko Bijelina highway project was held. Chinese Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Li Fan, attended and delivered a speech, and our embassy's Counselor Gai Guoqiang and Vice General Manager of China Overseas Engineering Co., Ltd., Wang Hongming, attended. The Chairman of the Union of Independent Social Democrats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SNSD), Dodik, the Prime Minister of the Republika Srpska, Minic, and the General Manager of the Highways Company, Viskovic, attended and delivered speeches.

Ambassador Li said that the Brcko Bielina Expressway Project is another important project of the the Belt and Road jointly built by China and Poland, and also an important achievement of infrastructure connectivity under the framework of China CEEC cooperation. 2026 is the starting year of China's 15th Five Year Plan. China will continue to promote high-quality development and high-level opening up to the outside world. This project is a vivid practice of deepening international infrastructure cooperation in the 15th Five Year Plan. This highway is not only a transportation artery, but also a path of friendship that promotes people to people communication and common development.

The foreign guests expressed in their speeches that this expressway is of great significance in promoting regional connectivity and economic development. As the highway and other major infrastructure projects continue to advance, the development potential of the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be further unleashed. We appreciate China's strong support for project construction and financing, express our willingness to work hard to optimize the business environment, and welcome more Chinese funded enterprises to invest and develop.

Wang Hongming stated that after the start of construction, the company will fully leverage its advantages in international engineering construction, project management, resource allocation, and contract fulfillment capabilities to ensure high-quality and high standard project advancement. As the project contractor, we will work closely with the local government to ensure high-quality completion of the project and truly benefit the local people.

The Br č ko Bijelina highway project has a total length of 17 kilometers and is an important component of the highway network connecting Banja Luka and Belgrade, with a construction period of 3 years.(Original content sourced from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bosnia and Herzegovina) Editor/Cheng Liting