EUR 1.6 million for cooperation with BiH, Montenegro

BELGRADE - The Serbian government and the European Commission closed financial agreements worth EUR 1.6 million for programmes of international cooperation between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro.

On behalf of the Serbian government, the agreements were signed by Minister without portfolio in charge of European integration and National IPA Coordinator Jadranka Joksimovic, while Director at the Directorate General for the Enlargement Jean-Eric Paquet signed the documents on behalf of the EC.

According to a release issued by the Serbian government Office for cooperation with the media, this sum is a part of the funds that will be allocated via public calls for international cooperation projects in late 2014 and early 2015.

A total of EUR 3.6 million would be allocated from the programme of international cooperation between Serbia and BiH for the next public call and the funds will primarily be used for activities aimed at relieving the consequences of floods and their prevention, having in mind the extensive damages caused in both countries by the natural disasters in May 2014.

A total of EUR 2.2 million will be allocated from the programme with Montenegro for projects aimed at increasing productiveness and competitiveness of economic, rural, cultural and natural resources.

According to the release, the programme will also be aimed at improvement of cooperation with experts and civil society in these sectors.

The funds from both programmes would be distributed to projects of cooperation between non-profit institutions from Serbia and institutions in BiH and Montenegro in the form of grants. Grant beneficiaries will have the obligation to provide a minimum of 15 percent of the total...