Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Wednesday visited the eastern Croatian town of Zupanja and on that occasion he said that 10.7 billion kuna (€1.45 billion) had been engaged through the Slavonia project in the last three years.

Plenkovic recalled that three years ago, his cabinet had decided during a meeting in the biggest eastern city of Osijek to invest more efforts to help the five Slavonia counties to boost their development.

“In less than three years, we have engaged HRK 10.7 billion through the Slavonia project,” Plenkovic said adding that the region would remain a priority for his cabinet.

During Plenkovic’s stay in Zupanja, his cabinet and the local authorities signed two grant deeds transferring ownership over land to the town for the construction of accommodation facilities and a local sports centre.

A meeting of the government’s advisory committee for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem would be held in Orahovica on September 3.

“Our aim is for people to remain in this area, demographic revival, opening new jobs and support to agricultural and rural development,” Plenkovic said earlier in the day.

Plenkovic recalled that systematic and permanent contact with the five Slavonian counties “is a clear reflection of a 2016 analysis when it was concluded that Croatia’s east needed the Slavonia Project”.