Three new USAID partners receive awards

BELGRADE - U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Michael Kirby and Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Serbia Susan Fritz have handed awards to USAID’s new partners in Serbia.

The awards were received by Chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) Vladan Atanasijevic, Director of the Serbian government Office for Cooperation with Civil Society Ivana Cirkovic and Dejan Randjic of Orion Telecom and DNA Communications in Belgrade on Monday.

In a two-year project to combat gray economy, NALED will work to improve the business climate and promote use of brownfield sites.

Over 18 months, the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society will receive more than USD 200,000 as assistance from USAID in a project aiming to improve the policy environment for civil society through drawing up a national strategy that supports civil society.

USAID became a partner of two successful companies in Serbia, Orion Telecom and DNA Communications, in a 20-month project dubbed ICT Platform that should boost job creation and promote entrepreneurship by developing a platform for information and communication technology.

Ambassador Kirby said that USAID has a new approach to development, through direct funding of state institutions, civil society and the private sector.

The U.S. diplomat told Tanjug that is very optimistic about Serbia’s future.

Your economy has improved noticeably, you have a firm democracy, and you truly respect human rights here, Kirby said.

Outtgoing USAID Director Susan Fritz told Tanjug that she expects that the projects based on the new approach will be more sustainable and efficient as they were...