Today, the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced an additional USD 18 million in development assistance to Serbia through amendments to existing aid agreements, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of European Integration and USAID. These funds will be used, among other things, to improve public procurement procedures in Serbia, enhance citizens’ access to justice, improve environmental protection and energy security, promote a stronger media environment, enhance economic opportunities for vulnerable groups, and increase the competitiveness of the Serbian economy.
Minister Tanja Miščević thanked the United States for its strong support of Serbia on its European path and stated that the new USD 18 million in grants represented a continuation of cooperation with one of the most significant development partners. “These funds will be directed towards projects such as improving the public procurement system at both central and local levels, contributing to lower procurement costs. In the area of justice, the focus will be on educating citizens to better understand and protect their rights. More than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises will have the opportunity to increase profitability through business modernisation, while new agricultural funds will enable interest-free financing in the most underdeveloped municipalities. Energy efficiency projects will include the renovation of buildings and improvement of heating systems, while social projects will help the most vulnerable categories improve their employment prospects and quality of life,” Miščević stated.
U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill witnessed the signing ceremony of the amendments to existing aid agreements between Serbian Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević and USAID Mission Director in Serbia Brooke Isham.
“Today marks another important date in the long history of our development partnership. The United States, through USAID, is providing an additional USD 18 million in aid to Serbia through our existing agreements to help Serbia’s economy become more competitive and to improve the functioning of state institutions. Together with these agreements, we have invested USD 937 million through USAID to help Serbia tackle various challenges over the past 23 years. The United States remains committed to helping the citizens of Serbia achieve their goals such as democracy, stability, prosperity, and European integration,” said Ambassador Hill.
