On the second day of her visit to Serbia, Under-Secretary of the UN/Executive Director of UNOPS Grete Faremo met with Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic and toured the project implemented by UNOPS in Obrenovac with the financial support from the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway.
The partnership between UNOPS and Government line ministries is reflected in preparation and implementation of projects aimed at improving the lives of people in Serbia. At the moment, UNOPS is implementing eight projects in the country, worth nearly EUR50 million, including those aimed at flood relief and reconstruction of damaged road structures and the European PROGRES programme aimed at development of 34 under-developed municipalities in Southeast and Southwest of the country, said the participants in the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Mihajlovic thanked UNOPS for projects implemented in concert so far and expressed hope that successful cooperation would continue in the future.
“Another two projects, to be implemented by UNOPS and funded by the EU and Swiss Government with more than EUR30 million, include initiatives for development of planning and technical documentation, social and economic infrastructure as well as Roma inclusion and gender equality, will allow us to deepen our cooperation with the Ministry,” UNOPS Executive Director Grete Faremo said.
Through the project aimed at flood relief in Serbia, the Kingdom of Norway has invested EUR1.5 million in reconstruction of sports and cultural centre in Obrenovac.
“What we are witnessing today at the SKC is the result of cooperation among Serbia, the Municipality of Obrenovac, the EU and UNOPS, of which we can be proud and which will hopefully continue in the coming period. It makes me proud to see people being given a chance to return to their normal lives. Friends are there to help, and this kind of practical assistance is worth much more compared to words and promises,“ said Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia Arne Sannes Bjørnstad.
UNOPS Executive Director Faremo toured the social housing apartment building in Mislodjin, home to 32 Roma families, constructed thanks to the EU within the project “Let’s Build A Home Together.“
“I would like to commend excellent cooperation we have established with UNOPS, the City of Belgrade and the Municipality of Obrenovac and thanks to which we have achieved these amazing results. The social housing apartment building in Mislodjin is part of a wider project funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS, which provided housing solutions for some 500 people. The EU has allocated EUR1.5 million to find housing solutions for another 50 Roma families. Roma social inclusion, which is part of Serbia’s social policy, is an important aspect of Serbia’s EU accession, not only for accession talks, but also as a means to improve the lives of Roma. The EU has so far invested EUR11 million in Roma social inclusion and secured another EUR20 million to support Serbia in that process,” said Nicolas Bizel, Head of Operations I at the EU Delegation to Serbia.
“Good cooperation is essential for project implementation and we have established it with the EU Delegation, which funded the project, and local self-governments which have advised and helped us. I am proud of my UNOPS team and the way they managed to include all parties, especially the tenants whose reactions made me happy,“ Faremo said.
As Faremo put it during the meeting with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nemanja Stevanovic, UNOPS is dedicated to supporting the efforts of the Government of Serbia to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together with the UN Team in Serbia.
