Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Danish government gives non-refundable aid to Nis district

Belgrade, 7 September 2006

Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic and Danish Ambassador to Belgrade Ruben Madsen signed today a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the implementation of the programme of Local Economic Development in the Balkans (LEDIB).

Ruben Madsen and Milan Parivodic

Through the Memorandum, the Danish government has agreed to extend non-refundable aid of around €10 million to the Nis district within the next five years.

At a press conference, Parivodic thanked the people of Denmark for their aid and said that the funds will be put to use in the construction and textile industry sectors.

He explained that LEDIB is a five-year local economic development support programme focusing on the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to Parivodic, the programme had been drafted for two years in cooperation with the Serbian Ministry of International Economic Relations, Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Foreign Trade and Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Danish "neighbour programme", LEDIB includes two states and endorses their poverty reduction strategies, said the Minister and added that the programme will be carried out in the Nis district in Serbia and the north-west region of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He said that simultaneous implementation of the programme in two countries will allow an exchange of information, joint use of certain resources such as consultation services, as well as strengthening of local administration capacities for the implementation of existing and new laws.

Parivodic said that the regions in question have been selected due to the large number of internally displaced persons and refugees living there and pointed to the fact that the programme aims to create new jobs through SME development.

The programme consists of two components, explained the Minister. One of them is the creation of a favourable business climate, while the other component, called “The Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises,” will support SMEs through the development of business clusters, improvement of services for business development and by allowing better access to funds available for the development of these enterprises.

He pointed out the great importance of SMEs for economic development and the creation of jobs, adding that the aim is to make this sector export oriented and competitive on an international level.