Minister of European Integration of Serbia, Tanja Miščević, stated today that small cross-border cooperation projects in the region are often more visible and important to citizens than large infrastructure projects.
At the conference marking 20 years of EU-supported territorial and cross-border cooperation projects, she highlighted that these initiatives aim to improve healthcare, tourism, and fight against climate change, floods, and fires, among many other areas.
“We are now in the fourth generation of these programs, bringing approximately 260 million euros,” said the Minister, emphasizing that tourism projects, in particular, are drawing significant interest and are a major talking point.
Such projects, beyond providing tangible benefits to citizens, play an essential role in strengthening bilateral cooperation between countries in the region, she noted.
Minister,Tanja Miščević added that Serbia and its neighboring countries should “come together” and prepare well for new regional cross-border projects, upcoming calls, and financial cycles.
Gilles Kittel, a representative of the European Commission, stressed that these cross-border cooperation projects are intended to prepare candidate countries for functioning within and joining the EU.
“This serves as a bridge between member states and candidates,” said Kittel.
The Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation, Nikola Bertolini, underscored that cross-border cooperation projects are particularly important for the development of rural areas and for achieving balanced regional growth.
“Such areas face significant challenges,” Bertolini highlighted.
