It was stated in Vranje during the presentation of the first call for project proposals for cross-border cooperation, worth EUR 5.4 million, that the European Union was fully committed to the EU membership of Serbia and North Macedonia and, therefore, supported cross-border cooperation projects.
The call, within the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III), was opened on 5 September, and all potential applicants have until 22 October to submit proposals, which the EU will co-finance with EUR 5.4 million.
Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević said that since 2001, the EU had provided more than EUR 4 billion in grants to Serbia and the Western Balkans.
“These cross-border cooperation projects aim to promote good neighbourly relations and work to improve them; they aim to promote European integration, but the most important goal is to improve social and economic development on the ground, where it is best seen,” Miščević said.
She recalled some projects that had been implemented within the cross-border cooperation programme, adding that the benefits of cooperation were clearly visible through the three projects in Vranje.
Minister of Local Self-Government of North Macedonia Zlatko Perinski stated that the new programme supported initiatives that fostered exchange and intercultural cooperation.
“The programme offers the possibility of cooperation in the tourism sector of underdeveloped areas with those that are more developed,” he said.
Perinski stated that IPA III amounted to EUR 8.4 million but that EUR 5.4 million would be available for this call for projects.
“The money will be divided into two thematic priorities – employment and cross-border social inclusion with EUR 2.9 million, that is, promoting tourism with EUR 2.43 million,” Perisnki explained.
Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret said that the EU’s values were democracy, peace, freedom, commitment to cooperation, dialogue, prosperity, and justice.
“The official announcement of this call for proposals within the programme is the beginning of cooperation within the large IPA III programme, so new calls for cross-border cooperation projects between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Serbia and Montenegro, will follow,” announced Giaufret.
He emphasised that all these initiatives would strengthen regional ties and cooperation efforts, adding that the two main pillars of cooperation would focus on employment and labour mobility, that is, promoting tourism, cultural, and natural heritage.
“The EU is committed to the EU membership of Serbia and North Macedonia, and we want to strengthen their cross-border cooperation as a way to fulfil common goals for the benefit of all citizens and thereby strengthen the path to prosperity and peace,” said Giaufret.
The Mayor of Vranje, Slobodan Milenković, stated that this local self-government had participated in the cross-border cooperation programme with Bulgaria on four projects from 2007 to 2018.
“Vranje intends to apply with projects in the field of tourism for cross-border cooperation projects with North Macedonia,” he announced.
Miščević, Perinski and Giaufret will also visit three projects in Vranje that were implemented within the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Serbia–North Macedonia and Bulgaria–Serbia.
They will visit the Sector for Emergency Management, which is the beneficiary of the project “Joint Emergency Interventions in Serbian and Bulgarian cross-border region,” and the Public Utility Company Komrad, where the project “Improvement and Protection of Human Health and Environment by Reducing Pollution Risks through Efficient Waste Management” has been implemented.
The ministers’ visit will conclude with a tour of the Public Utility Company Vodovod Vranje, which is involved in the implementation of the project “Strengthening International Relations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia with the Common Goal of Improving the Environment.”
Source: FoNet