Hungary and USAID help local economic development in Serbia

The Embassy of Hungary to Serbia and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) signed the Agreement on cooperation yesterday (July 8, 2009), which anticipates joint support to local economic development in Serbia.

The Agreement on cooperation was signed by the Ambassador of Hungary to Serbia, Šandor Pap, and the CEO of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Michael Harvey.

The Ambassador of Hungary to Serbia, Šandor Pap, said that Serbia was strategic partner of Hungary, and that was the reason why such great importance was attributed to development projects .

- We have backed Serbia on its way to European Union and realized that that was not enough, and that is why we have adopted new measures, one of which is support to local economic development - Pap pointed out.

The CEO of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Michael Harvey, said that USAID had been cooperating with many countries that had gone through the transition process.

- The cooperation that we crowned with that agreement was commenced six months ago, when we sent the representatives of the offices for local economic development to the study tours in Hungary - said Harvey.

The US Charge d'Affaires in Serbia, Jennifer Brush, pointed out that USA believed that that project would improve living standard and quality of life in Serbia.

Realization of the project for support to local economic development in Serbia should be finished in September 2010 when all other USAID's Mega programmes will be finished.