They also signed a memorandum on cooperation.

The head of the cargo division of the Slovenian railway operator, Melita Rozman Dacar, said on the occasion that the operators saw many opportunities for growth and development.

General manager of Srbija Kargo Dušan Garibović labelled the agreement an important step towards improving the railway service in the region. He also called for the extension of the new link to Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece and other countries in the region.

According to Slovenske Železnice, the purpose of the meeting of the executives of the companies SŽ Tovorni Promet, HŽ Cargo, Srbija Kargo, Željeznice Republike Srpske, Makedonski Železnici Transport and AD Montecargo was to strengthen the ties between the companies and improve regional cooperation.

The officials also discussed cooperation in freight transport in the area of the former Tenth Corridor between Austria's Salzburg and Thessaloniki, Greece, and its planned expansion into the Alpine-Western Balkan Corridor.

They agreed that sections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia should be included in the project.

According to Slovenske Železnice, railway transport between Slovenia and Serbia plunged by 92% after 1990, so the new railway link is expected to improve the links of EU countries with Serbia and other countries in the region.