New Horizons: Vojvodina and Hessen Team Up in Brussels

A working meeting took place at the Representation of the State of Hessen in Brussels.
The delegation of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina included Dr. Aleksandra Sitarević, Deputy Secretary for Regional Development, Interregional Cooperation and Local Self-Government, Ms. Dragica Ilić, Assistant Provincial Secretary for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, and Mr. Ognjen Dopuđ, Director of the Fund for European Affairs and Development of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Office of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Brussels and the Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union in Brussels.

The delegation of the State of Hessen was led by the Head of the EU Coordination Group, Dr. Markus Vogel from the Hessian State Chancellery.

Seven out of ten coordinators from the relevant ministries of the State of Hessen took part in the meeting: Mr. Jason Chumtong (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Viticulture, Forestry, Hunting and Home Affairs), Mr. Lukas Glaser (Ministry of Labor, Integration, Youth and Social Affairs), Ms. Lisa Fieblinger (Hessian Ministry of Finance), Mr. Andreas Kuckro (Hessian Ministry of the Interior, Security and Homeland Protection), Ms. Barbara Schöneburg (Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture), Mr. Stock (Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing), and Ms. Heike Würfel (Hessian Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Sport, Health and Care). The meeting was also attended by Ms. Tamara Hadži from the Representation of the State of Hessen in Brussels and Dr. Witke Siegerist from the Representation of the State of Hessen in Berlin.

The meeting was opened by Ms. Tamara Hadži, who warmly welcomed the participants to the Representation of Hesse in Brussels. She expressed her satisfaction with the strong attendance and asked Dr. Markus Vogel, Head of the EU Coordination Department, to address the participants.

Dr. Vogel presented the organization and role of the State Chancellery of Hesse in shaping European policy. He emphasized that European policy in Hesse is a cross-departmental responsibility, with each relevant ministry maintaining its own units for European affairs, while the Chancellery provides coordination, advisory support, and assistance to EU fund beneficiaries.

Speaking on behalf of Vojvodina Office in Brussels, Mr. Nikola Vučurević, Head of the Office, thanked the Representation of Hessen for their warm hospitality and the strong collaboration over recent months. He also expressed appreciation for creating opportunities for expert dialogue and the exchange of experiences across different sectors. Furthermore, Mr. Vučurević

highlighted the close economic ties between the Republic of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Germany, illustrating his points with relevant statistical data.

Dr. Aleksandra Sitarević highlighted that the collaboration between the two provinces has a long-standing history and noted the existing Declaration of Intent, which both sides intend to formalize into an official cooperation agreement to be signed by the presidents of their respective governments. She underlined the established level of institutional relations and the active support provided to the German national minority and organizations operating in Vojvodina. Deputy Secretary Sitarević also expressed interest in the situation of citizens of former Yugoslav origin living and working in Hessen.

Delegation from Vojvodina outlined three key areas of focus:

1. Strengthening the capacities of local self-government units,
2. Creating conditions for attracting new investments through systematic planning of infrastructure projects,
3. Preparing for the use of EU funds, including mapping and analyzing infrastructure zones in the province to produce reports on their readiness and suitability for investment.

Dr. Vogel then outlined the organizational structure for EU fund management in Hessen. He noted that three ministries — Economy, Social Affairs, and Agriculture — each maintain dedicated units for managing EU funds, while the State Chancellery oversees coordination and provides advisory support. He also emphasized the backing of Hessen’s Minister for European Affairs, Mr. Manfred Penz, for Serbia’s European integration and for regional cooperation with the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.

Mr. Jason Chumthong underscored the significance of agriculture in Serbia, which was illustrated with a film about Vojvodina. Ms. Dragica Ilić outlined Vojvodina’s agricultural potential, highlighting over 1.7 million hectares of arable land, primarily used for crops such as corn and sunflower, alongside a developed livestock and dairy sector. She also emphasized initiatives for rural development and tourism, as well as efforts to encourage young people to remain in rural areas. It was noted that Vojvodina’s forest coverage is low, at around 7%, and ongoing projects focus on revitalizing pastures and implementing irrigation systems in cooperation with the Republic of Serbia. A major challenge remains that only a small portion of agricultural land is publicly owned.

Mr. Ognjen Dopuđ outlined the work of the Fund, which for the past 15 years has been dedicated to strengthening institutional capacities in preparation for Serbia’s future EU membership. He explained that the Fund is currently engaged in 17 cross-border and transnational projects and is developing an integrated platform to present available investment sites in Vojvodina — a tool that could also serve investors from the Hessen region. Mr. Dopuđ invited the representatives of Hessen to take part in the upcoming Regional Business Forum on November 20–21,and expressed the Fund’s readiness to collaborate on EU project implementation and the exchange of best practices. Mr. Dopuđ further noted that, upon the initiative of Vojvodina Office in Brussels, Fund for European Affairs and Development of the AP of Vojvodina has recently joined the European Regions Research and Innovation Network

(ERRIN). He highlighted that this membership opens additional opportunities to deepen cooperation with the region of Hessen within this framework.

Responding to a question from Mr. Andreas Kuckro, representative of the Hessian Ministry of the Interior, regarding Vojvodina’s responsibilities in the area of security, Mr. Dopuđ clarified that internal affairs fall under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Serbia, not the Province. He added, however, that the Fund can collaborate with the Ministry of the Interior on relevant projects. He cited examples of cross-border initiatives with Hungary and Croatia in fire protection and emergency management, and outlined plans to launch cybersecurity projects in partnership with the science and technology parks in Novi Sad and Belgrade.

At the conclusion of the three-hour meeting, representatives of both provinces expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in the near future and to formalizing it through a signed agreement.