Japan
The legal framework for bilateral development cooperation is the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro and the Government of Japan. This Agreement regulates all forms of technical development cooperation between the two countries, while the strategic framework for development cooperation with the Republic of Serbia is defined in the Japan's Development Cooperation Charter of February 2015.
The priority areas of Japan's bilateral development assistance to the Republic of Serbia are:
1. Environmental Protection;
2. Healthcare, Social Protection and Education; and
3. Entrepreneurship and Support to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.
Some of the examples of assistance that Japan provides to the Republic of Serbia are: non-project donations in the form of Japanese products, projects for the basic needs of the population (POPOS Projects), which include one-time assistance such as the reconstruction of school buildings and kindergartens, delivery of medical equipment and ambulances, garbage trucks and containers, tankers, special vehicles for transportation of persons with disabilities, etc., as well as the consulting assistance of Japanese experts since 2009 through the volunteers programme of the Government of Japan. Japan also provides concessional loans (yen loans), so that the project "Installation of flue gas desulfurization systems at the Nikola Tesla Thermal Power Plant" will be realized from the funds of one of the loans.
For more information, visit the following website:
Kingdom of Denmark
In January 2017, the Kingdom of Denmark adopted a General Strategy for Development Cooperation: World 2030 – Denmark’s Strategy for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action. The four strategic priorities of this Denmark's development policy are: security and development - peace, stability and protection, migration and development, inclusive, sustainable growth and development, and freedom and development - democracy, human rights and gender equality.
The Development Cooperation Strategy of the Kingdom of Denmark with the Republic of Serbia is defined within a wider regional concept - the Danish Neighbourhood Programme for Eastern Europe. The Neighbourhood Programme is the basis of Denmark's assistance to the eastern and south-eastern areas of the EU. Through this Programme, Denmark supports the development of democracy, the rule of law, stability and economic development in the EU's neighbouring countries. Although the Republic of Serbia has not been identified as one of the priority countries (which include Georgia and Ukraine) in the Neighbourhood Programme 2017-2021, Denmark provides targeted support to Serbia, which is focused on the accession of Serbia to the EU.
During the past 10 years, Denmark has been active in Serbia through a multitude of programmes worth more than EUR 17 million. One of the biggest projects was the "Private Sector Programme for the Support to Fruit and Beverage Sector in Southern Serbia". Farmers in this region have been provided with support in the development of production of fruit and berries. The project has created more than 800 new jobs. Denmark also supported the judiciary reform, media freedom, refugee accommodation, the Ombudsman institution and local economic development.
In May 2014, the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Denmark and the Danish Emergency Management Agency sent to Serbia personnel and equipment as help in fight against floods. The cooperation between Serbia and Denmark in the defence sector was established in 2004, and Serbia has, in recent years, been one of Denmark's largest partners in Europe in this field (not counting the NATO Member States). The cooperation projects in the defence sector are primarily aimed at supporting the reforms, capacity building and regional cooperation.
More information can be found at: http://serbien.um.dk/en/danish-cooperation/danish-cooperation-with-serbia/
Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway is one of the largest bilateral donors of the Republic of Serbia, whose support, only in the period from 2008 to date, has been more than EUR 100 million. Norway provides its assistance to Serbia through Bilateral Cooperation Programme, Embassy small -scale grants, as well as through direct grants to civil society organizations.
The Ministry of European Integration is responsible for the implementation of Bilateral Programme for 2013 and 2015; you can find more on this at the following link: Norway Bilateral Programme 2013-2015. Since 2016, the Royal Norwegian Embassy has taken full responsibility for planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting for the next programming years, while the Ministry of European Integration will be involved in the programming of the bilateral assistance package.
In accordance with this, on 10 January 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoR) was signed between the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, concerning Bilateral Cooperation through projects and defining the basic principles of cooperation between the two ministries, with the aim of supporting the integration of Serbia into the European Union structures through projects which contribute to reform processes and development of supported sectors in line with the requirements of the European integration process. You can find the text of the MoR and belonging amendment at the following links:
- MoR
- Amendment 1
Norway also provided significant support to Serbia for the rehabilitation of damages caused by floods, as well as for combating the migrant crisis.
For more information, visit the following website: https://www.norway.no/en/serbia
Kingdom of the Netherlands
During the 1990s, Dutch assistance was aimed at establishing peace, stability and sustainable development. In the course of the 2000s, the approach was changed to bilateral cooperation, with Dutch development assistance focusing on the support to long-term stability and transition, support to the process of Serbia's accession to the EU, strengthening the role of the private sector, contributing to security in the region, promoting other major donors, and support to regional programmes of international organizations.
In the past five years, Dutch assistance to the Republic of Serbia has been reduced to MATRA donations for small projects, managed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Belgrade, whose beneficiaries are mainly civil society organizations. In April 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Dutch Government on the implementation of the ORIO Programme in the Republic of Serbia. The ORIO Programme is a former Dutch government programme aimed at financing infrastructure projects, mainly in the field of water supply and waste water treatment.
The most important projects in progress are:
Within the ORIO Programme, the project "Collection and Treatment of Waste Water in Leskovac" is being implemented in the Republic of Serbia. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is the main partner of the Dutch side in the implementation of the project.
The Dutch government is participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as in the implementation of projects which strengthen the capacities for responding to the migrant crisis and providing legal assistance to migrants.
For more information, visit the following website:
Kingdom of Sweden
Cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Kingdom of Sweden in terms of international development assistance was established by the Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Kingdom of Sweden on General Provisions and Conditions for Development Cooperation, signed in 2007. The Agreement regulates the roles and responsibilities of the Serbian and Swedish parties in the context of the use of funds, the issues of VAT exemption, customs duties and other duties, diplomatic and legal status of staff, etc.
The priority areas of development cooperation have been established in accordance with the Sweden's new Strategy for Reform Cooperation in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Turkey for 2014-2020, and they include:
- Enhanced economic integration with the EU and development of functional market economy;
- Strengthening democracy, greater respect for human rights and more developed rule of law, with a focus on a strengthened public administration and justice system, with the aim of increasing the level of achievement of human rights and opportunities for achieving democratic influence; and
- A better environment, reduced climate change impact and enhanced resilience to environmental impact and climate change.
In the previous period, Sweden has donated most of its grants to the sectors of environmental protection, internal affairs, civil society, public administration and energy.
Of the ongoing projects, the most significant ones are:
PEID Project (Priority Environmental Infrastructure for Development), through which the support to the environmental protection sector continues - providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in order to prepare potential projects for financing in the following period. The main goal is to create technical documentation for large infrastructure projects.
EISP 2 Project (Environmental Infrastructure Support Project), which provides support to the Ministry of Environmental Protection in implementing small components of large infrastructure projects, as well as identifying potential environmental projects in order to be ready for the development of the necessary technical documentation.
For more information, visit the following website: http://www.swedenabroad.com/sr-Latn-RS/Embassies/Belgrad/
People's Republic of China
The legal basis for cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China is the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the People's Republic of China, which is signed annually.
Priority areas of development cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China are health, education, energy and security.
Within the framework of development cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China, several projects in the field of health have been implemented in the past few years, through which medical equipment have been provided for hospitals and health centres throughout the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of China also provided significant support in terms of flood protection, in the form of donation of lifeboats and GPS devices. Also, the Government of the People's Republic of China provided professional development by organizing seminars in various areas for representatives of institutions at the republic and local level, chambers of commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, and hospitals.
For more information, check the following link: http://rs.chineseembassy.org/srp/
Republic of Austria
Through development assistance projects, the Republic of Austria supports the policy of the Republic of Serbia aimed at the prospect of accession to the European Union. Projects in the areas of regional development, education, environmental protection, agriculture, healthcare, entrepreneurship development, social protection, strengthening of governance capacities at the local level, as well as the support to civil society organizations, have been implemented. By 2012, the estimated amount of development aid reached cca EUR 40 million.
Since 2012 until now, the activities of Austria in the Republic of Serbia have been focused on the implementation of projects financed from EU funds or international financial institutions. The implementation of the programme titled "Socio-Economic Development of the Danube Serbia Region" (SEDDSR), funded from the EU funds, is a good example of the Republic of Austria's engagement which is realized through the Austrian Development Agency in Belgrade. The Project consists of several components, including the construction and renovation of infrastructure, e.g. the construction of a water supply system in the municipality of Veliko Gradište, as well as the rehabilitation of the Golubac Fortress.
The estimated amount of the Republic of Austria's financial contribution to the EU Programme Socio-Economic Development of the Danube Serbia Region amounts to around EUR 1.5 million.
In the field of flood recovery and prevention, the Republic of Austria, through the Red Cross, provided assistance to households which were affected by floods in Požarevac, Paraćin, Svilajnac and Trstenik. The Republic of Austria also financially participated in the European Union's Floods Recovery Programme, aimed at the construction of new and reconstruction of the existing river embankments in the municipalities of Paraćin, Svilajinac and Valjevo, as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction of the drainage network in the Municipality of Obrenovac with pumping stations.
In the field of migration, the Republic of Austria has provided funds through participation in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the procurement of the necessary equipment and goods.
The Republic of Austria also participates in Twinning projects in the Republic of Serbia, which are an instrument of the European Union aimed at strengthening the administration of the Republic of Serbia in the activities of adoption and implementation of the EU legislation regarding judiciary, migration, environmental protection, agriculture and rural development, etc.
More information about the Austrian Development Assistance can be found on the following website: http://www.entwicklung.at/en/
Hellenic Republic
The Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans (HiPERB) is a five-year programme of Greek development assistance, within which the Government of the Hellenic Republic has allocated grants for six Balkan countries - the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania. The Agreement with the FR of Yugoslavia was signed on 25 July 2002, and it envisaged a non-refundable financial assistance for the reconstruction of economic, social and institutional system in the Republic of Serbia. The target sector of this assistance programme is the modernization of infrastructure, especially in the transport sector.
Two very important projects for Serbia, which are supported by the HiPERB Plan, are the construction of Corridor X (https://goo.gl/Zb12VH ) and SEELight (South-East European Lambda Network Facility for Research and Education -https://goo.gl/m3oGXo ).
You can find more information on the following link: http://www.mfa.gr/serbia/sr/the-embassy/
Republic of India
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of India since 1964, as a bilateral assistance programme of that country to friendly countries. This Programme is primarily aimed at developing countries, including the Republic of Serbia, offering free training courses in India for various technical and professional jobs, as well as the possibility of faster and easier adaptation to an increasingly globalized world.
Serbia has been a partner of the Indian ITEC Programme since 2008, and to date more than 140 experts from Serbia have attended courses in various fields and scientific disciplines, including information and communication technologies, management, entrepreneurship, banking and finance, renewable energy sources, issues related to climate change, legislation, English language training, etc.
For more information, visit the following website: www.itecgoi.in
Republic Of Poland
Development cooperation with the Republic of Poland is realized through programmes and projects aimed at specific user groups (bilateral assistance), as well as through membership fees and voluntary contributions to international institutions, funds and organizations (multilateral assistance).
Bilateral assistance can be used by institutions from the sector of public finance, research institutes, NGOs and private sector entities. In cooperation with external partners, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements a number of its own initiatives, some of which have been implemented through Polish diplomatic missions under the small grants system. The projects are implemented by Polish diplomatic missions, either individually or in cooperation with local partners. The project partners are usually local NGOs, public institutions or local self-governments.
In 2011, a Memorandum on the Promotion of Cooperation was signed in Warsaw, which includes the exchange of experiences in the field of regional development, territorial cooperation, ways of using the EU funds and other relevant areas - through cooperation of institutions of the two countries, participation in thematic workshops, conferences and exchange of documents which are related to these areas.
Since 2007, 42 different programmes and projects have been implemented, which were funded with Polish funds in the amount of cca EUR 470 thousand. During 2017, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Belgrade has closed the call "Small Grants 2017", while the projects from this programme will be implemented through four thematic priorities stated in the "Multi-annual Development Cooperation Programme 2016-2020": human capital, entrepreneurship and the private sector, sustainable agriculture and the development of rural areas, and environmental protection.
For more information, visit the following website: www.belgrad.msz.gov.pl
Republic of Slovenia
The current cooperation is being conducted in accordance with the Agreement on Development Assistance between the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, which was signed on 9 July 2003.
The technical assistance activities are focused on supporting the institutions of the Republic of Serbia in the process of European integration, including support in harmonising regulations, harmonising procedures with regard to the operation of our institutions with EU standards, improving the quality of services, improving the organizational structures through transfer of experiences of Slovenian institutions and organizations. The amount of funds allocated for development assistance is determined on annual basis in the Development Plan of the Republic of Slovenia.
Currently, a project titled "Assistance in Combating Corruption" is being implemented, which aims to improve the conditions for ensuring transparency and accountability in the functioning of public sector institutions in the Republic of Serbia, as well as strengthening the capacities of the Republic of Serbia for the efficient implementation of the legal competencies of institutions in the fight against corruption. The project manager is the Anti-Corruption Agency, while its total value amounts to EUR 95,580.
Projects are conducted through direct communication between the Slovenian Centre for International Cooperation and Development and beneficiaries in the Republic of Serbia.
For more information, visit the following website: www.belgrade.embassy.si
Republic of Turkey
The legal framework for cooperation with the Republic of Turkey in the field of donor, development and humanitarian aid in emergencies is the Agreement on Technical and Financial Cooperation signed between the two countries' governments in October 2009. By its signing, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency in the Republic of Serbia (TIKA), through which the cooperation with the institutions of the Republic of Serbia is directed and realized, officially started operating.
Priority areas supported by the Republic of Turkey through the development cooperation programme with the Republic of Serbia are education, health, agriculture, culture, historical heritage and tourism.
As examples of the support of the Republic of Turkey through donor funds, we will mention only a few major projects: general reconstruction and equipping of the General Hospital in Novi Pazar, procurement of greenhouses for the municipalities in Zlatibor, Pčinja, Toplica, Raška, Moravica and Bor Districts in the Republic of Serbia, construction and reconstruction of several elementary schools in Novi Pazar, support to the reconstruction of the Ram Fortress near Veliko Gradište which has been ongoing since 2013, etc.
With regard to assistance in emergencies, we would like to highlight the assistance of the Republic of Turkey after the earthquake in Kraljevo in 2010, floods in Novi Pazar in 2011 and 2016, as well as assistance in recovery following the floods that affected the Republic of Serbia in May 2014. For those purposes, humanitarian funds and support in the amount of EUR 1.350.000 were provided for the financing of several projects in seven municipalities in the Republic of Serbia, intended for the regulation of the river beds, the construction of embankments and the banks on the rivers Ljig, Velika Morava, Zapadna Morava and Pek, construction of a new bridge in Ražanj municipality etc.
More information about the assistance of the Republic of Turkey can be found on the following websites: http://www.tika.gov.tr/en and http://www.tika.gov.tr/upload/oldpublication/sirbistan.pdf.
Federal Republic of Germany
Bilateral development cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Serbia has been ongoing since 2000. Development assistance in the amount of over EUR 1.8 billion, allocated from the funds of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the funds of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Stability Pact and others, has been approved to the Republic of Serbia in the form of grants and soft loans. Financial support projects are implemented by the German Development Bank (KfW), while technical assistance projects are implemented by the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GIZ).
In the previous period, the funds from the German development assistance in the Republic of Serbia have been directed towards the implementation of projects and programmes in three priority areas:
• Public infrastructure (energy and water): electricity and heat supply, water supply, sewerage infrastructure (waste water management);
• Sustainable economic development and employment: improving legal frameworks in the field of finance and economy, development of the financial sector, support to small and medium-sized enterprises, support to secondary vocational education and training reforms; and
• Democracy, public administration, civil society: support to the development of decentralized administration that is efficient and result-oriented, especially in the area of improving transparency, the rule of law, the judiciary system and balancing the powers of various parts of the public administration, as well as providing help in preparing for the accession negotiations and supporting the EU accession process over the past several years.
By the amount of funds granted and the significance of the results achieved, the Federal Republic of Germany is undoubtedly the most important bilateral development partner of the Republic of Serbia.
In addition to projects implemented at the national level, the Federal Republic of Germany provides both financial and technical assistance to regional projects and programmes.
Regional financial cooperation is realized through the following instruments of cooperation:
1. Regional Instrument for Support to Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency;
2. European Fund for South-East Europe and
3. Green for Growth Fund, Southeast Europe
Regional technical cooperation is realized through three regional programmes:
1. Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe;
2. Regional Programme for the establishment of the Danube Competence Centre, for strengthening the Danube Region and the Lower Danube Region; and
3. Cross-Border Cooperation in the field of social inclusion of persons who are victims of human trafficking.
For more information, visit the following websites: http://www.belgrad.diplo.de/ and www.germancooperation.rs
United States of America
Development cooperation with the United States of America is realized through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The legal bases for cooperation are assistance agreements between the Republic of Serbia and the United States of America for better functioning of the administration and a more competitive market economy.
The USAID Strategy for the Republic of Serbia 2013-2017 has two development goals:
- improving accountability of key democratic institutions; and
- creating better conditions for a comprehensive economic development.
Priority areas of development cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the United States of America include the development of local self-governments, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, institutional building, rule of law, European integration and the strengthening of the civil sector.
Significant projects aimed at better functioning of the administration are: The Rule of Law Project, Strengthening of the Media Systems, Enhancing Local Resilience to Refuge Crisis.
For more information, check the following link: https://www.usaid.gov/serbia/democracy-human-rights-and-governance
Significant projects aimed at achieving a more competitive market economy are: Private Sector Development Project and Competitive Economy Project.
For more information, check the following link: https://www.usaid.gov/serbia/economic-growth-and-trade
Slovak Republic
The strategic framework for the provision of development assistance by the Slovak Republic is the Medium Term Strategy of the Slovak Official Development Assistance for 2014-2018. In the field of development cooperation, the legal framework is the Agreement on Development Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Slovak Republic, signed on 3 December 2007.
According to the specific priorities set by the Slovak Republic for the Republic of Serbia, the goals of development cooperation are:
1. Civil society development, social recovery and regional development;
2. Reconstruction of local infrastructure and its development; and
3. Support to integration into international structures and organizations.
In the following period, the focus of bilateral development cooperation with the Slovak Republic will be the transfer of experiences in the field of European integration and experiences from the transition process and reforms.
In the previous period, the Slovak Republic has provided assistance to Serbia through the Slovak Development Agency "Slovak Aid". In the period 2007-2013, financial support was provided through "Slovak Aid" to Serbia in the following forms:
1. A total of 108 development projects were implemented. Some of the prominent ones are:
• "Solar Energy for Children with Disabilities" - implemented in 2011, in the total amount of EUR 247,192.14.
• "Democratization and Integration" - implemented in 2013, in the total amount of EUR 110,452.
2. In the form of small grants (projects up to EUR 5,000), in the period 2007-2014, Slovakia provided financial assisstance to Serbia in the amount of EUR 600,000, mainly in the fields of education and healthcare.
3. In May 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic launched the Programme on Technical Assistance - CETIR (Centre for Experience Transfer on Integration and Reforms), with the aim of exchanging experiences in the area of integration and reforms.
4. In 2016, humanitarian aid was organized as an integral part of the foreign policy of the Slovak Republic. This form of aid was provided to Serbia mainly for the needs of refugees and migrants, through material humanitarian aid totaling EUR 61,500.
For more information, visit the following website: http://www.mzv.sk/belehrad
United Kingdom
As part of the development cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the United Kingdom, representatives of the British Embassy in the Republic of Serbia have an active role in the process of coordination of development assisstance.
The Good Governance Fund (GGF) is a multi-annual programme, and Serbia has a part of this fund available for support to reforms in the following areas: rule of law (the judiciary, fight against corruption, human and minority rights, etc.), public administration, economy and business environment, strengthening of freedom of expression.
The Good Governance Fund operates through three channels:
1. The Strategic Support Fund (SSF), which is focused on pilot projects and Civil Society Organizations, through the provision of direct grants. Its maximum budget is around EUR 250,000;
2. The channel of International Financial Institutions (IFIs), designed to support reforms through cooperation with International Financial Institutions, and currently in partnership with the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and UNDP;
3. The Management Fund (MF), managed by a Consortium led by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and it includes technical assistance for projects developed in cooperation with state institutions.
Through its Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the United Kingdom is helping the Republic of Serbia in two areas:
- Making progress in the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina (GBP 260,000) and
- Improvement of minority policy in the Republic of Serbia (GBP 80,000).
The Reuniting Europe Fund includes a number of strategic areas that are directly linked to Serbia's path to EU membership: reform of the judiciary, fight against corruption, strengthening of parliamentary capacities, improving the capacity for policy making, media financing and human rights.
For more information, check the following link: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-belgrade.sr
Swiss Confederation
The Government of the Swiss Confederation is present in Serbia through the Swiss Development Cooperation Programme. The Swiss cooperation programme with Serbia has been developed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), in close collaboration with the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), as well as with government offices, civil society, and the private sector in Serbia. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and is in charge of development assistance related to supporting capacity-building projects, technical assistance, and so-called “soft” projects in the fields of democratic governance, economic development, employment, and environmental protection. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs and its Department for Economic Cooperation and Development oversee the planning and implementation of development projects in macroeconomics, trade, private sector development, and infrastructure.
The Swiss Embassy in Belgrade is responsible for managing and monitoring the results of the Swiss cooperation programme with Serbia. Since August 2020, the Head of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy has been Mr. Richard Kohli, and since August 2024, Ms. Katrin Ochsenbein has held the position of Deputy Head of Cooperation.
The Swiss cooperation programme with Serbia for the 2022–2025 period represents a continuation of long-term support for the reform processes in the Republic of Serbia. Switzerland has been present in Serbia since 1991, initially through humanitarian aid and later through comprehensive support to the Republic of Serbia. Today, it is one of the four largest donors with financial support exceeding EUR 400 million, reflecting its commitment to this bilateral partnership.
The cooperation programme for the 2022–2025 period focuses on the following areas: democratic governance and civil society, economic development and employment, and climate change and sustainable urban development. During this period, Switzerland allocated EUR 95 million, which is 10% more compared to the previous strategic period. Swiss-Serbian cooperation is based on mutual trust, unity, and active participation of all relevant partners.
Three Areas of Support for 2022–2025:
In the field of democratic governance and civil society, support totalling EUR 29 million is allocated for topics of good governance at the local level, democratic participation and civil society, social inclusion, and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The goal is to support citizens and civil society in actively participating in inclusive democratic processes alongside accountable and efficient institutions. Support is directed toward systemic reforms of local self-governments, building their capacities, and applying principles of good governance to improve their performance and the overall quality of services provided to citizens and the business sector, with particular attention to marginalised social groups. Part of the support is focused on empowering civil society to participate in public decision-making processes, and ensuring greater connectivity with citizens, all aiming to create a sustainable and resilient civil society.
In the field of economic development and employment, support totalling EUR 44 million is aimed at improving the macroeconomic framework, business environment, and inclusive policies to overcome inequalities. During these four years, attention will be directed toward managing public finances, creating a favourable business environment, encouraging economic competitiveness, particularly in manufacturing enterprises, and quality employment, especially for young people, focusing on dual education.
In the field of climate change and sustainable urban development, support totalling EUR 21 million is intended to enhance resilience to climate change and decarbonisation in accordance with the goals of the “Green Agenda for the Western Balkans,” thereby supporting the development of society and the economy in Serbia. The main support themes include energy transition, decarbonisation, energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable urban development, and support for implementing the Green Agenda.
Horizontal fields of Swiss cooperation with Serbia
Switzerland remains active in additional areas that intersect with the main areas of support — environmental protection, good governance, gender equality, and social inclusion.
Since 2009, there has been a Migration Partnership between Switzerland (represented by the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration – SEM) and Serbia, aimed at jointly managing migration and utilising their economic and social potential. Support totalling EUR 2 million has been allocated for projects in the fields of migrant and refugee protection, prevention of irregular migration, combating human trafficking, and migration and development.
For more information, please visit the website: