According to the EU ambassador to Serbia, Vincent Degert, the purpose of these EU facilitated projects is to boost regional cooperation.

“We want to enforce peace and stability in the border areas through these projects, but we also want to improve economic stability in these often poorly developed regions,” said Degert, adding that “Borders should unite, not divide the region.”

Degert says that the EU’s role is to act as a facilitator, helping countries to address joint issues together.

Sanda Simic, the assistant director of the Serbian government’s EU office, says that the programs that had been initiated between ex-Yugoslav countries were particularly successful.

“The cooperation between Serbian and Croatian artists has been great.  Young directors from both countries came together to make short films about the region’s rock bands, and these were shown at both the Palic film festival in Serbia, and the film festival in the Croatian town of Vinkovci,” Simic said.

She also pointed out the successful partnership that had been formed between NGOs in Sarajevo and the Serbian town of Sremska Mitrovica, who jointly educated another civil society organization about eco-tourism.

“There is also a group of Montenegrin and Serbian towns which run joint bicycle tours to promote cooperation and dialogue among the border towns,” she added.

Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Suzana Grubjesic, says that the connections that are created among people and the towns are more important than the economic benefits.

Source: BalkanInsight