The Poverty Reduction Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia is organising a Donors’ Conference to present proposals of 17 projects intended to foster economic development in the 9 flood-stricken municipalities in the Banat region of Vojvodina, and southern Serbia.

The Conference is the fourth, final, phase of the Assistance to Flood-Stricken Municipalities in the Republic of Serbia Project. In 2005 the nine affected municipalities received support in preparing effective project proposals based on needs identified by the municipalities and the commercial and non-government sectors. The project proposals are to be submitted to international donors for funding approval.

The initiative to foster economic development in flood-stricken municipalities was started by the Poverty Reduction Committee, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Implementation Teamof the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and the Ministry of International Economic Relations, with the support of the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The projects were prepared in the municipalities of Secanj, Leskovac, Krusevac, Plandiste, Prokuplje, Zitoradja, Blace, Zitiste and Bela Crkva.

The Conference is to be attended by the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, Miroljub Labus and the Minister of International Economic Relations, Milan Parivodic, as well as numerous diplomats and representatives of international organisations.

The Conference, organised by the Poverty Reduction Committee, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Implementation Teamof the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and the Ministry of International Economic Relations, is to open at 12 noon on 13 March 2006 at the Lesser Chamber of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.