Mionica, Serbia, 3 January 2020 – At the first Regional Housing Programme (RHP) event of 2020, on 3 January, keys to 16 new apartments in Mionica, Serbia, were handed to refugee families from the former Yugoslavia. The apartments were constructed under RHP sub-project SRB5, which has a total value of € 52 million.

The event was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic; State Secretary at the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government, Bojan Stevic; Steffen Hudolin, Head of Operations Sector II at the European Union Delegation to Serbia; Matthias Schikorski, Political Advisor and Regional Migration Officer at the German Embassy to Serbia; Mayor of Mionica, Boban Jankovic; OSCE Deputy Head of Mission, Joseph Melot; Serbian Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, Vladimir Cucic; Acting Director of the Public Sector Projects Implementation Unit Ltd., Dusan Kovacevic, and National Assembly Vice President, Djordje Milicevic.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Ivica Dacic said: “The fact that we assign keys to 16 apartments for refugees from the territory of the former Yugoslavia in Mionica will further enrich this festive period. I am particularly pleased that some of you will celebrate Christmas and the Serbian New Year in new homes.”

Steffen Hudolin, Head of Operations Sector II at the European Union Delegation to Serbia, agreed, emphasising once again the strong commitment of the EU to working with Serbia to provide permanent housing solutions to the remaining beneficiaries of the RHP. “We are proud to be the largest donor to the Regional Housing Programme, and intend to continue our support until its completion,” he said.