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

USAID approves additional $4.3 m for civil society development

Belgrade, 1 October 2009

Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic today stated that the USAID will approve an additional $4.3 million of non-repayable aid for the development of the civil society in Serbia.

Michael Harvey and Bozidar Djelic

At a press conference held at the government building Djelic said that the USA is Serbia’s second largest donor of non-repayable funds, recalling that since 2001 it has granted over €500 million towards improving Serbia’s administration, the energy system and for other needs of the Serbian citizens and its economy.

He explained that this donation is about improving the activities of the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) which is implementing a $14 million programme through which it has already financed 200 projects implemented by NGOs.

Djelic said that the programme will be additional support to a tolerant Serbia that wants to show that all who come here are welcome, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliation, sexual orientation and other differences.

USAID Mission Director to Serbia Michael Harvey stressed that the additional funds to be approved by the USAID will be put through the Civil Society Advocacy Initiative programme as direct assistance to the people.

Harvey said that this new form of financial support will help Serbian citizens to deal with problems related to environmental protection, poverty reduction, living conditions for the elderly and similar issues.

He said that the USA has been supporting civil society in Serbia since the mid 1990s, stressing that Serbia and the USA should make every effort to make Serbia a member of the EU.

Speaking about the Serbian people’s reaction to the tragic murder of French national Brice Taton, Harvey said that the Serbian government is making admirable efforts to show that violence and intolerance is not the real face of Serbia, adding that Serbia should be proud of the response shown by its people.