The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic held a meeting with a delegation of USAID (United States Agency for International Development). The delegation comprised Marilynn Schmidt, Deputy Director of USAID Serbia, Walter Doetsch, head of the USAID department for democracy and law and Ellen Kelly, USAID senior legal advisor.

USAID and East-West Institute support projects connected with strengthening the control role of the parliament through the Separation of Powers Program, in order to improve the National Assembly’s capacities in preparation of independent budgeting and drafting of a strategic plan of the National Assembly.

Since the USAID’s Separation of Powers Program is to last until August 2011, the representatives of the Agency expressed an expectation that the Assembly Speaker would consent to the activities planned for the further realisation of the program.

“It is in the Parliament’s interest to make use of the remaining 18 months of the program in the best possible way, because the control role is one of the National Assembly’s priorities in the upcoming period”, the Assembly Speaker said.