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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Agreement for Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between Serbia, North Macedonia signed

Nis, 26 June 2023

Minister of European Integration Tanja Miscevic, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Bojan Maricic and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret signed today in Nis a trilateral financial agreement for the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme between Serbia and North Macedonia for the period from 2021 to 2027.

This agreement between the European Commission, Serbia and North Macedonia is signed as part of the EU Opportunity Week, and 850,000 citizens on both sides of the border will directly benefit from it.

The total value of the agreement is €9.7 million, of which the funds of the European Union through IPA funds are €8.4 million, and the first tranche is €3.6 million.

Miscevic expressed her gratitude for the fact that the importance of cross-border cooperation for people living on both sides of the border has been recognised, and especially to her colleague from North Macedonia, who emphasised that it is a matter of common interest for citizens to feel the benefits of the process of accession to the Union.

She pointed out that the importance of the cross-border cooperation programme is also reflected in the fact that it is help to citizens, not the state, specifying that from 2004 to 2020, 1,000 organizations worked on 1,600 projects, which were financed with €400 million, and from which more than 100,000 citizens felt the most direct benefit.

Miscevic recalled that she recently signed the Memorandum on cooperation in European integration with her counterpart from North Macedonia, adding that the goal is to jointly lobby better and more effectively and show the importance of the countries of the Western Balkans in the EU integration process.

Giaufret expressed his satisfaction that this agreement crowned the EU Opportunity Week, the final day of which is being held today in Nis and is dedicated to local development and the environment.

He emphasised that this agreement confirms that the opportunities do not stop at the borders with the EU, but that they also exist within the framework of cross-border cooperation programmes, which directly affect the welfare of citizens.

Support for healthcare and social and cultural inclusion, as well as the promotion of tourism, are the scope of the new cross-border cooperation programme between Serbia and North Macedonia, funded by the EU.