The representatives of road companies within the Nibens Group have started the blockage of works on the construction of the northern stretch of Corridor 10, despite having agreed with Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic that the state representatives should on Wednesday attempt to reach an agreement with the banks on the solving of problems of those companies.

After the meeting at the Serbian government, the journalists were told that Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Milutin Mrkonjic and Director of the Privatization Agency Vladislav Cvetkovic will confer with the largest creditors of the Nibens Group.

Cvetkovic said that it was agreed that one should wait for the banks to concur on the solving of Nibens Group's problems as a whole, so as to unblock the company's accounts.

The Independent Union of Road Workers of Serbia announced that the road workers of the companies within the Nibens Group will today block the works on the northern stretch of the Corridor 10, unless the state enables the solving of their problems.

The representatives of 'Vranje', 'Nis', 'Kragujevac', 'Beograd' and 'Backaput' road companies requested that their respective companies' accounts be unblocked, and that they be paid all outstanding salaries and be enabled to do their jobs.

The Koridori Srbije (Corridors of Serbia) company warned that the contruction of the highway on Corridor 10 is a priority project for the country, adding that blockages can jeopardize the announced deadlines for the opening of the remaining sections of the highway from Horgos to Novi Sad.

We believe no one has the right to prevent the realization of a project of national importance, the construction of which is financed from the state budget and from international loans, so at the end of the day, the works are paid by the citizens of Serbia themselves, which is why the realization of the project should be made possible at all costs, the statement delivered to Tanjug reads.

The road workers' requests also include that the government should order the Privatization Agency to examine disputable privatizations.