"More time and money for Serbia's south"

The state needs to devote more time to the region of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, according to Nenad Djurdjevic. Djurdjevic, the new director for the Coordination Body for Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, says that the state must invest in these three municipalities. "More time and money for Serbia's south" He announced that over the course of the next year, the state would have to plan the budget for south Serbia more carefully, although he did not mention any figures. Djurdjevic says that last year, US$ 780mn from the budget was allocated to the three municipalities. The minister added that even though government representatives had announced a 50 percent increase in this year’s budget, the opposite had actually happened, with the budget being halved compared to 2006. He stated after a trip to Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja that he had got the impression everyone living there wanted to cooperate with the state bodies. The region has the largest ethnic Albanian community in Serbia outside of Kosovo itself. Djurdjevic, who was appointed to the post in July, announced that he would in the uture be spending more time in the region than in Belgrade.

"More time and money for Serbia's south"

He announced that over the course of the next year, the state would have to plan the budget for south Serbia more carefully, although he did not mention any figures.

Đurđević says that last year, US$ 780mn from the budget was allocated to the three municipalities.

The minister added that even though government representatives had announced a 50 percent increase in this year’s budget, the opposite had actually happened, with the budget being halved compared to 2006.

He stated after a trip to Preševo, Bujanovac and Medveđa that he had got the impression everyone living there wanted to cooperate with the state bodies.

The region has the largest ethnic Albanian community in Serbia outside of Kosovo itself.

Đurđević, who was appointed to the post in July, announced that he would in the uture be spending more time in the region than in Belgrade.