Seventeen Deputy Ambassadors Visit South West Serbia

The Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Serbia, Mr Oskar Benedikt, along with 17 deputy ambassadors of the European Union Member States, will visit the municipalities of Raška, Sjenica, Novi Pazar and Ivanjica from 31 May to 2 June 2016.

The delegation will visit the projects financed by the EU and the Swiss Government through the development programme European PROGRES, which contributes to improvement of the infrastructure, enhancement of competitiveness of local economies and job creation, as well as to better social inclusion and good governance.

During the visit the Delegation is scheduled to meet the representatives of local self-governments, civil society organisations, media representatives and the religious leaders in order to gain closer insight into the latest political, and socio-economic developments in this part of Serbia.

On 31 May, the delegation will visit a social-inclusion project “Together on the Way to Work” in Raška that has contributed to the economic empowerment of people with disabilities by providing the machines for carpentry and establishment of permanent souvenir production within the premises of the Raška Association for Helping People with Disabilities.

Later in the day, the delegation will visit the Regional Centre for Development of Agriculture based in Sjenica, which was opened and equipped with the support of the EU countries. The Deputy Head of the Delegation of the EU to Serbia, Mr Oskar Benedikt will award the donation contracts for branding of four agricultural products – Ivanjica Potato, Sjenica Cow Cheese, Sjenica Stelja, and Vlasina Honey – through the registration of their protected geographic origin, thus enhancing the competitiveness of these products.

On 1 June, while in Novi Pazar, the delegation will visit the dams on the Raška River, built with the support of the EU and the Swiss Government, where Mr Benedict will announce a new project that will continue the works on the Raška River Flood protection.

On the third day of the visit, the members of the delegation will see Bukovica Kindergarten in Ivanjica, constructed and equipped with the financial support of the EU and the Swiss and the Serbian Governments.

The European Union and the Swiss Government have earmarked EUR 24.46 million in support of European PROGRES’ activities contributing to the sustainable development of South East and South West Serbia. The Programme aims at strengthening local governance, creating a more enabling environment for economic and infrastructural development and at improving the enforcement of social inclusion policies. The activities in the field are implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

The following 34 local self-governments are covered by the Programme – Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varoš, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raška, Sjenica and Tutin in South West Serbia, and Prokuplje, Blace, Žitorađa, Kuršumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medveđa, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladičin Han, Preševo, Surdulica, Trgovište, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadžin Han, Doljevac, Merošina, Svrljig, Babušnica, Bela Palanka and Knjaževac in South East Serbia

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