Works to build Serbia's National Stadium start in spring

The plan is to build "an entire city" within the stadium, Mali said in his New Year's interview with the daily Blic.

He specified that the project will include "residential and business premises, a technology park, exhibition fairs, and an aqua park."

According to Mali, negotiations are already under way to bring "many world companies and retail chains" there.

The works, he added, should start in the spring of 2019, and the plan is to finish them in two and a half to three years.

"The goal is to make money through investments and tourism, but also to promote sport - for Belgrade to get a modern stadium, in order to be able to, at some point, host the final of the (football) Champions League, or the Europa League," Mali said.

The minister also said that the budget for the next year earmarks money for the design of the stadium.

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