Uzice, 12 of May 2010 - Representatives of the High Commissioner for Refugees, the German NGO ASB, the City of Uzice and the Center for Social Work in Uzice have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, regarding the construction of housing units intended for social housing under protected conditions within the context of the project, ˝Support to refugees and internally displaced persons in Serbia.˝

 

The formal signing ceremony was attended by Ivan Gerginov, Assistant Commissioner, Jovan Markovic, the mayor of the town of Uzice, Ramović Zaim, director of the Center for Social Work and Ivan Marin, the manager of ASB.

 

The project is funded by the EU through the EU Delegation in Serbia, through the instrument of pre-accession aid for 2008 (IPA 2008).  As part of the project worth 4.2 million euros in 2010 and 2011, housing will be provided alongside the economic empowerment of 750 refugees and internally displaced persons.

 

Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia, as well as the institutions utilizing the Project, in cooperation with the EU delegation and executive partners have focused the funds mentioned in the project to municipalities and cities in the Republic of Serbia,  particularly affected by the concentrated presence of refugees and IDP’s.

 

In the city if Uzice, the construction of a facility costing 270,000 euros and being composed of 15 residential units will be undertaken.  The recipients of these residential units will be chosen on the basis of merit by a committee comprised of the representatives from the Commissariat for Refugees, Centre for Social Welfare, UNHCR, and the ASB.

 

Ivan Gerginov, Assistant Commissioner for the refugees, during the signing of the memorandum, thanked the EU Delegation in the Republic of Serbia, for their support in providing durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons and meeting the prerequisites for EU membership.

 

Gerginov stressed in particular the importance of cooperation between central and local government, emphasizing that only a comprehensive approach and one involving all the relevant parties can help to end the protracted refugee situation.

 

Gerginov added that the Commissariat for Refugees over the course of the last two years, has set aside more than 2 million euros from the governmental budget in order to support the local action plans of municipalities and cities that are actively involved in solving the refugee problem, additionally reiterating that all municipalities and cities having an active and open approach to the problem of refugees and IDP’s, can count on the continued support from the Commissariat for Refugees.