Under the third sub-project of the Regional Housing Programme, refugee families with permanent residence on the territory of Belgrade were today at the Assembly of the City of Belgrade presented with agreements for the purchase of 68 rural households and additional assistance packages.
Value of each agreement is EUR9 500 for the purchase of house and additional EUR1 500 to make necessary renovations. The EU is the biggest donor towards the RHP, contributing EUR230 out of EUR261 million.
Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Oskar Benedikt said “it is always a pleasure to see concrete benefits of EU funds and to meet people whose life change with our help.” Benedikt recalled that the EU Delegation to Serbia’s goal was to assist the important and historic Sarajevo process where all countries of the region joined forces to put an end to the problems of the refugees from the conflict of the 90’s.
He said that “apart from the RHP programme, the EU has since 2000 donated an additional 90 million€ from the pre-accession funds to assist refugees and displaced people in Serbia. Most of the funding was used to build new houses and apartment building all over Serbia. When we started our assistance in 2000 there were more than 300 collective centres in Serbia. By the end of the year, together with KIRS we will achieve our common vision and goal and close the few collective centres still remaining in Serbia,” said Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Oskar Benedikt.
He said the City of Belgrade had been most cooperative and helpful in the implementation of the Programme. “Belgrade still hosts a large number of refugees, and through the RHP 1900 people will get new homes,” said Benedikt and added: “The EU continues to be your biggest partner in solving the issue of refugees and IDPs.“
“Originally, the public call envisaged the purchase of 50 households, but through further engagement, we have managed to increase this number,” said Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Andreja Mladenović, announcing further measures to support refugees.
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“Serbia is one of the few countries in the world dealing with protracted refugee situation,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic/President of Government Commission for Coordination of Permanent Integration Process of Refugees.
He noted that Serbia Government put the issue of securing decent living conditions for refugees and IDPs from Kosovo high on its agenda.
Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimovic said citizens should be aware of the financial supporters to the Programme, specifying the role of the European Union and other donors.
“Goal of reforms and European integration as a whole is to provide citizens with better living conditions and I believe citizens will support us in these efforts,” Joksimovic said.
Regional Housing Programme is implemented with support from OSCE and UNHCR. Apart from the EU which is the biggest donor to the Programme, other financial supporters include the USA, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Turkey, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary with a significant contribution made by Serbia.
