The aim of this document is to give detailed and clear definition of the joint activities and the affairs of importance to the timely and thorough preparation of the project of construction of the said traffic state road. The length of Novi Sad-Ruma traffic state road with a tunnel through  Fruška gora will be 27 kilometers.

- The signing of this Protocol practically continues the cooperation between the representatives of the republic, provincial and city administrations in the implementation of this important project. Only by working together we can reach good results and I hope that the realization of the construction of the traffic state road of the first order Novi Sad-Ruma will have the appropriate dynamics and that all activities in the coming period will continue as planned – mayor Vučević said.

Minister Igor Mirović said that this Protocol will define the conditions under which the complete project documentation for the construction of this important corridor will be completed.

- The plan of the Ministry and the Government of Vojvodina is to jointly fund the project documentation and to prepare the terms of reference in January, and then to define the procurement for the contactor, who would perform work according to the entire project documentation – Mirović said.

The construction of Novi Sad-Ruma Highway will solve the problem of passing trucks over Fruška gora and through Irig, whereas the newly built Highway and the tunnel will also have significant environmental effects, as the National Park "Fruška gora" will be protected from the exhaust gases. Work on the construction of the Highway from Novi Sad and Ruma with the tunnel through the Fruška gora should be completed by the end of 2017, while tender for the project documentation will be announced in January.

Novi Sad, 30^th December 2013