Today, at the Golubac Fortress, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and seven cities and municipalities, which is aimed at developing and improving tourism and preserving cultural heritage in eastern Serbia and the lower Danube region.
The European Union has allocated more than EUR 650,000 through the “EU for Cultural Heritage and Tourism” project, implemented by GIZ, for projects aimed at developing the tourist offer in Smederevo, Veliko Gradište, Golubac, Majdanpek, Kladovo, Negotin, and Zajecar.
Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has said that during the IPA programming with the EU Delegation in Serbia, she considered the proposal of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, which referred to strengthening the tourist offer and cultural heritage in eastern Serbia and the lower Danube region.
She has emphasised that the investment in the reconstruction of the Golubac Fortress, which began in 2014, is the best way to revive the area and the region.
“The lower Danube region and eastern Serbia have a lot of potential and that is why in 2018 we included this project, negotiated with the EU, which recognised and supported its significance”, Joksimović has said after signing the Memorandum.
Joksimović has stated that during the pandemic, it was decided to redirect part of the money to the recovery of the tourist sector, in order to support the project.
“We decided to redirect part of the money from the part intended for the recovery from the pandemic to the recovery of the tourism sector and to additionally support this project and this part of Serbia. In 2020, the EU allocated an additional seven million euros, and the German development agency, which is the main implementation partner, allocated another EUR 700,000”, Joksimović has said.
She has emphasised that the priority of European integration is, among other things, preparation for the cohesion policy and balanced regional development and that it is very important to map resources and find what makes a municipality stand out.
“Whether it is tourist potential, natural potential, water sources, there are various things that can be mapped as a resource in order to create a micro and local strategy that flows into the regional and becomes a national strategy”, Joksimović has said.
Joksimović has called on all local self-governments to get involved in the process of regional development through the use of pre-accession funds, stating that it is a preparation for what follows after EU membership.
She has added that Serbia’s EU membership is certain in the coming years, despite various global circumstances, and that is why we must prepare on time.
“I am glad that in this part of Serbia we have several strategically important projects in the field of cultural heritage promotion, which give the tourist offer of Serbia an extraordinary reputation”, Joksimović has said.
Joksimović has said that she is satisfied that the entire project was well planned, that funds were received from the EU, thanks to which, as she has said, European values are present in every part of Serbia.
“I am proud of everything that we have programmed well, and that, due to such good programming, we received funds from the EU, brought European values to every part of Serbia, improved local infrastructure, supported the tourist offer, worked on Green Agenda projects, which we will continue to work on”, Joksimović has stated.
Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret has said that the visit to Golubac was important, because the EU, together with other partners, has been involved in the project of rebuilding the Golubac Fortress for 10 years.
“We appreciate that we managed to make a great location out of this, to give it back its full beauty and glory, which are the results of joint work in the partnership with the Ministry of European Integration and the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications”, Giaufret has said.
He has emphasised that the protection of cultural heritage is important in Serbia and that it promotes the economy and creates new jobs.
Assistant Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Jelena Marinković Orlić has stated that tourism unites people and cultures, pointing out that the EU is Serbia’s largest trade partner.
“The EU is also a partner in promoting numerous sectoral policies, as well as the democratic values of our country. This EU project for cultural heritage and tourism emphasises the connection between culture and tourism and the importance of our cooperation and the importance of how much our activities should create a new common, creative and quality tourist potential of our country“, Marinković Orlić has said.
Source: Tanjug
