SWEDISH AMBASSADOR VISITS VRANJE

15. March 2012.

The Swedish Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Mr. Christer Asp, paid yesterday a visit to Vranje, where he participated in several activities of the „Peace-Building and Inclusive Local Development“(PBILD) Program, which is implemented from the office in Bujanovac by several UN agencies. The „Peace-Building and Inclusive Local Development“ Program is an initiative worth 8.5 million EUR, which is funded by the Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish and Swiss governments. The program is aimed at strengthening the capacities of professional resources in South Serbia for inclusive and sustainable development.

The Ambassador, among other things, opened the „Tradicija“(Tradition) bakery, where single mothers and victims of domestic violence would be employed, and he took part in the event at which a training course for healthcare workers – Roma mediators – was launched.

During the second leg of the program, the Ambassador visited the Vranje city library, where he participated in promotion of the library’s volunteers’ service. Initial agreements were signed at the library with future service providers, while certificates were handed out to the young who had undergone the volunteers’ training course.

The overall budget of the PBILD Program is 5.4 million dollars, whereas Sweden, as one of the donor countries, participates in the program with 1.8 million EUR. The program includes four main areas of work, which are improvement of social cohesion and human capital, improvement of work and a more balanced approach to public services, economic development and migration management.

Sweden, in this way, expresses a desire to see Serbia in the EU as soon as possible, since it belongs there”, the Swedish Ambassador said. He also pointed out that Sweden was the third biggest donor in Serbia, since it invested in Serbia, over the past few years, over 100 million EUR in various projects.