Croatia is celebrating the commemoration of the opening of a long-awaited bridge that is bypassing a part of Bosnian coastline to connect its southern Adriatic region with the rest of the country.
After 304 years, the bridge put an end to Croatia’s territorial discontinuity which was created by a 1699 peace treaty under which the Dubrovnik Republic, or the Republic of Ragusa, ceded the stretch of the coast around Neum to the Ottoman Empire.
The Pelješac Bridge stretches between Komarna on the mainland and Brijesta on the Pelješac penninsula and provides easier access to Dubrovnik.
The launch of the 2.4 kilometer cable-stayed structure is a historic moment for the country.
At the ceremony commemorating the inaguration of the Pelješac Bridge, co-funded by the European Union, President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commission Vice President Dubravka Šuica addressed the attendees, while a video message by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang was shown.
Photo: Pixsell