A few days ago, the city of Novi Sad officially received the title of the European Capital of Culture for 2022 and was, therefore, an important stop on the EU caravan route through Serbia.
The event, which took place in Freedom Square, was marked not only by activities which are traditionally carried out as part of the caravan, but also by the unveiling of an interactive art installation “(O)kruži se”, the winner of an art contest “Europe is here 2021” organised by the EU Delegation to Serbia.
Europe Day celebrates peace, solidarity, and economic growth in Europe, said Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Mateja Norčič Štamcar.
“By organising the caravan, our goal is to bring citizens closer to the support that the EU lends to the entire community. Cooperation with Serbia has been ongoing for the past 20 years. Last year, the EU set up a mechanism to fight the consequences of the pandemic, intended for Member States, but from which Serbia has also benefited thanks to the allocation of 66 million euros,” said Norčič Štamcar, adding that Vojvodina and the European Union work together in many areas including culture, science, environment, as well as cross-border cooperation programmes.
In his address, Mayor of Novi Sad Miloš Vučević said that Europe can be found on every single page of the history of Novi Sad.
“Having the caravan here is therefore no coincidence. Novi Sad is the Youth Capital of Europe, the European Capital of Culture, a city that has implemented many investments in cooperation with European institutions, but also with private, EU-based companies. We have excellent cooperation with the EU Delegation to Serbia, and the most important joint project is the construction of Žeželj Bridge with all accompanying access roads. Among the more ambitious projects ahead are the construction of the Regional Centre for Solid Waste Management and the Biosens Institute, i.e., the Centre of Excellence,” said Vučević.
As part of the EU caravan, from 11:00 to 19:00 in Freedom Square, visitors will be invited to embark on a virtual journey through Europe and “open the door” to some of the most popular European cities. Thanks to art installation “(O)kruži se”, designed by students of master studies of the Faculty of Applied Arts of the University of Arts in Belgrade, visitors can become a part of this exhibition. In the evening, visitors will have a chance to see 3D mapping in action, on the facade of the building on 7 Freedom Square, with the video projection depicting the partnership between Serbia and the EU.
As part of Europe Day festivities, Novi Sad will host a series of activities throughout the month of May:
An informative exhibition dedicated to 20 EU-supported projects in Vojvodina will be mounted in front of the Catholic Church from 9-16 May.
On 14 May (11:00h-17:00h) in Modena Street, voluntary non-remunerated blood donation will be organised in cooperation with the Institute for Blood Transfusion of Vojvodina.
Also, three online video podcasts dedicated to young people will be organised by EU Info Point in cooperation with the Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina and Reaguj podcast!
This year, the EU Delegation to Serbia intends to organise a series of events throughout Serbia in as many as 11 cities and towns. The goal is to promote the values on which the European Union is founded by showcasing Serbia-EU cooperation.
