The Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijević, met today with the Vice President of the Council of Ministers in the Government of Italy and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, and stated that the two countries will work together on a project to re-establish the railway line between Belgrade and Trieste, and that a Type D visa will soon be approved for our professional drivers.
“Special thanks for understanding a major grievance for professional drivers from Serbia and three other Balkan countries, namely the time spent in the Schengen zone. Italy has expressed full understanding regarding the acquisition of the so-called Type D visa, and we have agreed that this will all happen in a very short timeframe,” Sofronijević told reporters after the meeting at the Government of Serbia. She emphasised that, knowing Salvini’s energy and persistence, we will very quickly have good news to announce to our drivers.
“This is not just an issue for Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, but also an issue that directly impacts the economic chains and supply lines of all other European countries. This is a very important matter, and I thank you once again for your understanding and the offered assistance,” Sofronijević told Salvini.
The Type D visa (national visa) for lorry drivers allows for a longer stay and the right to work in a foreign country. However, EU states have largely stopped issuing national Type D visas for drivers from Serbia, meaning the status of professional drivers has been equated with that of tourists.
The Minister pointed out that they also discussed re-establishing the railway connection between Belgrade and Trieste.
“We will work on this in a very concrete manner; Serbia has this project planned in its development programme up to 2035, and we will work on it very specifically,” Sofronijević said. She noted that the railway line passes through four countries and will enable a faster flow of both people and goods, thanking Italy for leading the project.
“We want to shift attention slightly from road to rail transport, which is environmentally friendly. We have exceptional mutual understanding on this matter and hope that in the near future, we will be able to share good news about the first concrete steps in the implementation of this highly significant project,” Sofronijević stated. She said that they had very concrete and meaningful discussions today regarding co-operation between Serbia and Italy, stressing that relations between the two countries are at an enviable level.
“We touched upon very specific topics. Thank you to Italy for the support the Italian Government provides to Serbia on its European path – it is important to have Italy as a friend by your side supporting you,” Sofronijević emphasised.
Following the meeting, where topics of mutual interest for improving co-operation between Serbia and Italy were considered, Salvini thanked his hosts for their great hospitality. He praised Serbia for what he described as major efforts in infrastructure development in road and rail transport, noting that our country serves as an example to others in this regard.
“I would like to say that co-operation is exceptionally good in this sector, and we will engage in resolving a few more critical points to make it even better, such as the issue of hauliers’ stays in EU countries, the visa question, and removing the restrictions that exist in their work,” Salvini pointed out.
He said that the second important project the two countries will work on is connecting Belgrade and Trieste by rail for both passenger and freight transport, adding that four countries will participate in this project, which Italy will lead.
“We are also focused on Expo and co-operation to ensure the successful delivery of that exhibition, with the involvement of Italian firms – not just in building the pavilions, but in all works for the Expo,” Salvini added.
Sofronijević presented Salvini with a gift of handiwork by Serbian women – the Cyrillic alphabet (Azbuka) – and he reciprocated with wine from Lombardy.
“This is a bottle of red wine from Lombardy, the region I come from, but I have realised that we cannot compete with you when it comes to wine,” Salvini said.
Salvini began his two-day visit to Belgrade yesterday and met with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, at the Tolstoy Club. According to a previous statement by the Italian Government, the aim of the visit is to further strengthen co-operation between the two countries, with a specific focus on infrastructure, transport, and economic development.
(Telegraf, 07.07.2026)
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Photo credits: Tanjug/Rade Prelić