Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Oskar Benedikt, announced today in Novi Pazar that the European Union and the Government of Switzerland provided EUR250,000 through the development programme European PROGRES for completion of the project pertaining to the regulation of the Raska River flow aimed at flood protection. The funds will be used for the construction of five new mini dams, afforestation of 50 h of land and bio-technical works.
“We expect the works scheduled to begin in August to be completed by the end of the year. The project will additionally strengthen protection of citizens of Novi Pazar and their property from floods,” said Benedikt who visited the dam on Izbicka River during the second day of his visit to South West Serbia together with 16 Deputy Ambassadors of the EU countries. The dam is one of the nine dams, built within Raska River basin thanks to funds provided by the European Union and Swiss Government through the previous development programme – EU PROGRES, which saved Novi Pazar from floods in 2014.
The Delegation led by Benedikt visited the School for Textile and Leather Design in Novi Pazar which, owing to financial support of the European Union and the Government of Switzerland through the previous development programme EU PROGRES, acquired modern machines for sewing, tailoring and other teaching aids. This way, regular curriculum for students has been improved and additional education and training for adults has been made possible, thus allowing qualified workers to find jobs more easily in textile, footwear and clothing industry in Novi Pazar, Raška, Sjenica and Tutin.
At the meeting between the Delegation and the newly elected mayor of Novi Pazar Nihat Bisevac, it was announced that the European Union would continue to support the development of the city and the whole area, as it had already done throughout the previous decade, when the EU and the Swiss Government supported over 70 projects worth almost EUR3.5 million in partnership with the Government of Serbia.
During these meetings Oskar Benedikt emphasised that the representatives of the EU Delegation and embassies of Member States were visiting South West Serbia in order to gain better insight into current political and socio-economic developments.
He added that the EU would discuss development plans for the local self-governments with new Serbian Government and continue their support to the economic development of this region.
The delegation also met with the president of the Bosniak National Council, Sulejman Ugljanin, and President of Meshihat of the Islamic Community in Serbia, the chief mufti Mevlud Dudic.
Asked to comment on why the Regionalna TV from Novi Pazar was not allowed to make a video of the meeting, Oskar Benedikt said: “The press should do their job and the rule of law and media freedom are among the requirements pertaining to chapter 23.” He added he was concerned to hear that a news crew was prevented from doing their job and that such things should not be happening.
The European Union and the Government of Switzerland will support the activities of the European PROGRESS programme, which contributes to the sustainable development of the South and South West Serbia, with a total of 24.46 million euros. Approved projects will be aimed at strengthening local administration, creating a favourable environment for the development of infrastructure and economy as well as improving the implementation of social inclusion and employment policy. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Central Finance and Contracts Unit at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia (CFCU).
The municipalities included in the programme are as follows: Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merosina, Svrljig, Babusnica, Bela Palanka and Knjazevac in South East Serbia.
