PARTNERSHIP OF SERBIA AND NORTHERN MACEDONIA OPENS UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES

31. July 2019.

Leskovac – The first public call for project proposals under the Cross-border Cooperation Program of Serbia and Northern Macedonia, which is financially supported by the European Union, was officially promoted yesterday in Leskovac.

Local self-governments from Jablanica and Pcinj districts, as well as the Northeastern region and part of the Skopje region in Northern Macedonia, have the right to participate in the competition. One million and 260,000 euros are planned for the beginning of the co-operation, while the total grants earmarked for this purpose are three and a half million euros.

The priorities are employment, social and cultural inclusion, promotion of tourism development and preservation of cultural and natural heritage. And the ultimate goal is to strengthen good neighborly relations, establish partnerships and connect the people and resources of the two countries. The competition is open until the end of September, while the "domestic" participation in project financing is 15%.

"The motto of the program is “Good Friends, New Opportunities”, which is the quintessence of it, while by this call we want to improve mechanisms of cooperation between the local and national levels, while supporting projects designed to be sustainable and have a direct impact on a better life of the citizens,” said the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Sem Fabrizi.

The Minister of Local Self-Government of Northern Macedonia, Goran Milevski, said that the residents of Serbia and his country had special relations, because they had once lived in a common state, so that cross-border cooperation on European values was an ideal opportunity to raise those ties to an even higher level.

“We believe that a common European future is in the best interest of the region, and this program serves to make us stop talking and start acting. Serbia already has such cooperation with Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro,"said Minister for European Integration, Jadranka Joksimovic, while the Mayor of Leskovac, Goran Cvetanovic, reminded those present of a large number of projects that had been funded or were being funded by the European Union in Leskovac, and emphasized the stance that cross-border cooperation between Serbia and Northern Macedonia offerd new opportunities.

Source: Evening News and Coordination Body