Ruzic: Serbia will participate in two transnational programs

BELGRADE - Minister without Portfolio in charge of EU integration Branko Ruzic announced on Tuesday that over the next seven years Serbia will participate in two transnational programs.

One of those programs will be the Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, Ruzic noted at a journalism workshop on the South-East Europe program of transnational cooperation, which includes Serbia and 15 other countries.

He emphasized that cross-border cooperation programs involving Serbia are one of the more significant results of Serbia's EU integration process.

The implementation of cross-border and transnational cooperation programs is coordinated by the Serbian government's European Integration Office, in cooperation with the EU Delegation in Serbia.

Assistant Director of the European Integration Office Sanda Simic pointed that in the fiscal period 2007-2013 Serbia took part in eight transnational and cross-border cooperation programs, which comprised more than 600 individual projects.

We are currently preparing new programs, which includes announcing open competitions for project proposals for the program strategy that will be valid for the next seven years, she explained.

The European Integration Office holds biannual conferences aimed at promoting this type of programs.

The programs of cross-border and transnational cooperation provide support to institutions and organizations in border areas of neighboring countries, with an aim to enhance cooperation, confront common challenges and improve living conditions in underdeveloped and inaccessible areas.

The South-East Europe program includes 16 countries and is one of the most diverse and complex fields of transnational cooperation in...