“Successful European year for Serbia”

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that 2009 was a successful European year for Serbia formally and financially. He told a conference in Belgrade today that Serbia made significant steps in its European integration last year, and reminded of the visa liberalization and the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement and submission of the demand for EU candidate status. “Successful European year for Serbia” Djelic said that the union shows itself as an important partner for Serbia in the time of the economic crisis and it set aside EUR 100mn for supporting the Serbian budget. The first EUR 50mn was paid, and the second tranche will be given in the first half of 2010, when Serbia fulfills the conditions for receiving the aid, which will be followed by another EUR 200mn of macro-financial aid under the conditions that the EU itself pays, Djelic said. He said that in 2010, Serbia expects reforms in the financial system in order to be able to qualify for all components of the European budget at the end of 2011. In that way, Serbia will qualify for the components of the budget which deals with regional development, development of human resources and rural development. EU delegation chief in Serbia Vincent Degert said that Serbia’s European success in 2009 was not a result of a political agreement only, adding that this progress will affect the everyday life of the people. The EU offers about EUR 200mn in aid to Serbia every year, and has invested about EUR 200mn in the last five years in local self-administration, Degert reminded. He said that the EU and Serbian government are cooperating on three tasks—support for reforms and the creation of a legal foundation in accordance with the standards of the Union, strengthening local capacities and financing investments for the construction of infrastructure. “Be active, propose projects that we will be able to finance,” Degert recommended to officials of the local self-administrations. Djelic, Degert in Belgrade today (Beta)

“Successful European year for Serbia”

Đelić said that the union shows itself as an important partner for Serbia in the time of the economic crisis and it set aside EUR 100mn for supporting the Serbian budget.

The first EUR 50mn was paid, and the second tranche will be given in the first half of 2010, when Serbia fulfills the conditions for receiving the aid, which will be followed by another EUR 200mn of macro-financial aid under the conditions that the EU itself pays, Đelić said.

He said that in 2010, Serbia expects reforms in the financial system in order to be able to qualify for all components of the European budget at the end of 2011.

In that way, Serbia will qualify for the components of the budget which deals with regional development, development of human resources and rural development.

EU delegation chief in Serbia Vincent Degert said that Serbia’s European success in 2009 was not a result of a political agreement only, adding that this progress will affect the everyday life of the people.

The EU offers about EUR 200mn in aid to Serbia every year, and has invested about EUR 200mn in the last five years in local self-administration, Degert reminded.

He said that the EU and Serbian government are cooperating on three tasks—support for reforms and the creation of a legal foundation in accordance with the standards of the Union, strengthening local capacities and financing investments for the construction of infrastructure.

“Be active, propose projects that we will be able to finance,” Degert recommended to officials of the local self-administrations.