July 19, 2010

19. July 2010.

EU Provides Financial Assistance to South Serbia

Today, Bozidar Djelic, the Serbian Vice Prime Minister, and Vincent Degert, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, are going to sign the Agreement on Providing a Grant for Implementing „The European Partnership with Municipalities – Progress“Program in Vranje. The program is aimed at supporting the development of 25 municipalities in South and South Western Serbia over the next three years. „Progress“is a joint program of the EU and the Swiss and Serbian governments, it was said in the statement issued by Vice Prime Minister Djelic’s office.

The EU is going to earmark 13.5 million EUR, the Swiss government 2.5 million EUR and the Serbian government 1.5 million EUR for implementing the said program.

Prior to the signing of the agreement, the attendees of the event will be addressed by Vice Prime Minister Djelic and Ambassador Degert, as well as by Beatrice Meyer, Head of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Graeme Tyndall, Manager of the „Progress“ Program.

Following the signing of the agreement, participants in the event are going to visit Bujanovac, where they are to meet with Sima Gazikalovic, Vice President of the Coordination Body of the Government of the Republic of Serbia for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, and talk about cooperation within the „Progress“program, as well as about general improvement in the cooperation between the EU Delegation, the Swiss government and the Coordination Body.