The European Union (EU), via the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), has agreed to co-finance a rail modernisation project in Kosovo that is being funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The EU is set to provide a €38.5m grant for the three-stage modernisation of Kosovo’s railway infrastructure under the agreement.

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EBRD previously awarded a senior loan of €39.9m for the project in 2015. The development currently serves as Kosovo’s only international rail link.

Kosovo Minister of Finance Bedri Hamza said: “We are grateful for the significant contribution the EU is making through the Western Balkans Investment Framework to this crucial project for our country.

"We are grateful for the significant contribution the EU is making through the Western Balkans Investment Framework to this crucial project for our country."

“This is not only important financially but also a signal of the trust, commitment and confidence the EU, the EBRD and our international partners are putting in us.”

The rail project is expected to improve connectivity between Kosovo’s railway infrastructure and the wider European network via the Pan-European Corridor VIII and Corridor X.

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The grant will cover the southern section of Kosovo’s rail route 10, connecting Fushë Kosovë near the capital Pristina with the Macedonian border.

In addition, the project also features a Fushë Kosovë to Mitrovicë segment and a northern section, which spans from Mitrovicë to the Serbian border.

The Kosovo rail route 10 project forms part of the core Western Balkans railway network and also serves as an extension of the Trans-European Transport Networks, which aim to improve transport connectivity across the Western Balkans.

EBRD’s original loan provided funding for the upgrade of the 148km line and was awarded to national railway infrastructure company Infrastruktura e Hekurudhave të Kosovës (Infrakos).

The WBIF was initially formed in 2009 and is a joint initiative of the European Commission, international financial institutions such as EBRD, bilateral donors and the governments of the Western Balkans.

It is primarily intended to support and provide technical and financial assistance for different projects across the region.