Embassy Supports Slovak NGO to Strengthen Serbian Regional Governments

March 31, 2008

In Backi Petrovac, Serbia,  the Pontis Foundation, supported by an Embassy grant, organized a roundtable discussion on the subject: “The Slovak Experience of EU Integration and the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.”  The March 31 discussion formed part of a larger Pontis project to strengthen Serbian regions – bringing relevant Slovak experience in EU integration and transatlantic cooperation to local governments and citizens in Serbia. The participants of the discussion included representatives from local municipalities, non-governmental organizations and media from the autonomous province of Vojvodina, including Television B92. Mr. Lubomir Micek from the Slovak Ministry for Agriculture spoke on his experience of the Slovak integration process during his work at the Slovak mission in Brussels. He also addressed mistakes made, which Serbia as a future member state of the EU could avoid. Mrs. Ivana Dulic Markovic, the Serbian ex-Minister of Agriculture and vice-president of the political party G17 Plus, presented the Serbian integration experience to date. The next Pontis roundtable will be held in Nis on June 10.