EU PROGRES

The European Union and the Government of Switzerland today donated 484,000 Euros to Leskovac to support the implementation of the second stage of the Green Zone project. The funds will be provided through the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – PROGRES and will be used to build the Zone communal infrastructure, including the access roads, water and sewage networks and lighting.

Leskovac Mayor Slobodan Kocic said the following as he received the grant agreement: „The Green Zone is progressing well with the support of our partners, particularly thanks to the European Union. This is the most important project for Leskovac, because its significance exceeds local, even regional boundaries.“

The Leskovac authorities will also support the implementation of the second stage of the Green Zone project, with 170,000 Euros. The Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning earlier approved around 500,000 Euros from its programme of support to the construction industry for extending the communal infrastructure to the Zone. The Ministry of Economic and Regional Development also indicated that it would support this project.

The Green Zone project aims to create conditions for the implementation of new investments and the opening of hundreds of new jobs. One domestic and four foreign investors have already expressed interest in building their facilities within the Zone. The project is expected to substantially improve the opportunities for the storage, processing and sale of agricultural products from Leskovac and the broader area. Leskovac recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Macedonian municipality Kavadarci, under which it has established cooperation with producers in this area well known for its fruits and vineyards, whereby the significance of this project may potentially expand beyond the state borders as well.

PROGRES Manager Graeme Tyndall said the following at the ceremony: “Infrastructure is important. Leskovac should be lauded for realising that infrastructure is accompanied by good governance and that investors have to be provided with quality services. Leskovac has a vision on how to attract investors and the European Programme PROGRES will help it achieve that vision.”

Support to infrastructure projects is just one of PROGRES’ many activities aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of 25 South and South West Serbian municipalities. PROGRES is financially supported by the European Union (14.1 million Euros), the Government of Switzerland (2.5 million Euros) and the Government of the Republic of Serbia (1.5 million Euros).