A speed dating session dedicated to regional EU youth and youth cooperation funds was held at the EU Info Centre to bring the young in Serbia closer to issues they share with their peers in the region and the EU, said Steffen Hudolin representative of the EU Delegation to Serbia.

At the EU Info Centre, representatives of the EU Delegation, the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, Erasmus programme, Serbian Youth Umbrella Organisation and other organisations spoke with young people gathered in rotating groups.

Hudolin described the session as an opportunity to inform the target group, i.e. young Serbian citizens, about projects, events and available information that could facilitate networking.

“The focus should always be on young people. The second speed dating session aroused great interest among them, which is why we are giving thought to organising these sessions more often,” he said and added that Serbia was the most successful country in the region in terms of participation in EU programmes, such as the youth exchange programme Erasmus.

I hope that such sessions will help youth organisations find partners and funding opportunities, said Nenad Maletin of the Serbian Youth Umbrella Organisation.

“Youth organisations, being the most vulnerable ones, have trouble finding money they need to launch good initiatives that would enhance the quality of their lives,” he said.