Thirty-five contracts for purchased apartments have been delivered to refugee families from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia who live in the Belgrade area in Serbia. The event to mark this achievement was attended by Nikola Selaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, and Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, among others.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that to date more than 6,000 families from the former Yugoslavia have received homes thanks to the Regional Housing Programme (RHP) in Serbia.

Ambassador Giaufret stated that the RHP showed how successful regional cooperation can be, stressing the EU’s intention to support the RHP until the end. He also recognised the strong commitment of the Serbian government to providing permanent solutions to all families involved in the RHP, despite all the challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He concluded by saying that from all the projects the EU has funded in Serbia, the ones that bring the greatest joy are those focused on people – their rights, their dignity and their happiness. Respect for human dignity and human rights, as well as equality and freedom, are among the European Union’s fundamental values.

Almost €291 million has been allocated so far to the Regional Housing Programme. With €235 million, the European Union is the main donor to the Programme.