CEB Vice-Governor in Serbia to sign grant agreements for housing and children’s hospital

The Vice-Governor for Financial Strategy of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Carlo Monticelli, signed two grant agreements between the CEB and Serbia on January 31st.

The first of the two grants is for the Regional Housing Programme (RHP), which is managed by the CEB. The Bank is providing € 18 million to Serbia to finance durable housing solutions for about 1 000 most vulnerable refugee families, or an estimated 3 000 persons. Signing on behalf of Serbia was the Minister of European Integration, Jadranka Joksimović.

The signing was one of the highlights of an EU – Serbia conference on “Investments, growth and job creation”, at which the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabić were present. President Tajani said that the EU had pledged over € 230 million in contributions to the RHP, which, in Serbia alone, is expected to provide over 6 000 vulnerable refugee families with access to durable housing solutions.

“This is what European solidarity is all about”, he added.

Vice-Governor Monticelli also participated in a panel discussion on EU integration and its impact on increasing economic growth and generating jobs, during which he highlighted the importance of the development of human capital.

“This requires investments in education, health, and housing as well as other segments of the social sector, where the CEB can help,” he said.

The second grant agreement of € 250 000 will finance technical and contractual preparation activities for the construction of the new Tirsova Children’s Hospital. The grant is provided by the CEB-managed Slovak Inclusive Growth Account (SIGA). The agreement was signed in the presence of Zorana Mihailović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure; Zlatibor Lončar, Minister of Health; H.E. Dagmar Repčeková, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Serbia; the Mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali; and Prof. Zoran Radojičić, Director of University Children’s Hospital.

Commenting on the signing, Vice-Governor Monticelli said: “Today marks the real starting point for the construction of this emblematic pediatric hospital which is of major importance for the whole region, well beyond Serbia.”

Original source: CEB
Published on 31 January 2018