Projects from Serbia priority for the development fund of Slovakia

Novi Sad, 9 April 2009 – The Vice-president of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Martin Zloh and the Director of the Office for European Affairs, Predrag Novikov have talked today with the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Belgrade, His Excellency Igor Furdik on new prospects for donation funds, which the Government of the Slovak Republic is distributing for this year. “In the following period from 2009 to 2013, the Republic of Serbia will be the country of highest priority for the Government of the Slovak Republic as far as providing international assistance is concerned, and two calls for proposals for donations funds were opened in March. The first is related to the development of civil society, citizen values and small and medium-sized enterprises and support for weaker social categories. Its deadline is 15 May 2009 and the predicted amount per project is around €150,000. The other call for proposals is related to smaller projects on infrastructure, the amount per project is around €250,000 and the deadline for applications is 10 June 2009. I would like to point out that our institutes, institutions, NGOs, representatives of the civil society and associations of citizens can submit applications for both calls for proposals. The Government of the Slovak Republic has been offering assistance to Serbia through the Bratislava – Belgrade Development Fund since 2003 and more than eighty projects of the total value of €9 million were realized until 2008”, said the Vice-president of the Assembly of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Martin Zloh.

“Our very important guiding principle in our international work is the solidarity principle and we think that we are obliged to provide assistance to those who most need it”, said Ambassador Furdik and added that out of the forty percent of realized projects on the territory of Vojvodina, assistance and support were also provided for the development of a number of local self-governments, such as: Subotica, Sombor, Zrenjanin, Vršac, Novi Bečej, Kovačica, Kikinda, Bačka Topola etc. The Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Serbia emphasized that as far as projects were concerned, the foreseen amount per project was between €150,000 and €200,000, however, according to him, event those project proposals, for which realization a smaller amount of money would be necessary, could be submitted.