City of ZrenjaninRepublic of Serbia
Skupstinagrada ZrenjaninaEU Candidate Membership of Serbia - a Chance for Development of Zrenjanin
After yesterday's decision of the heads of 27 EU member countries to approve the candidate membership status to Serbia, today the heads of the local government of Zrenjanin agreed in their estimation that this is also a chance for Zrenjanin City to develop further.
The Mayor of Zrenjanin, dr Mileta Mihajlov, in his statement to media emphasised that it was one of the most important steps on the way to EU membership status and that it is a "stage with no return".
- I haveto point out that this status is achieved in one of the hardest and the most demanding periods of modern Serbian history. This, for sure, upgrade our rating with investors because now we are not marked any more as a turbulent and unstable region. Now new opportunities are opening to us with about 300 million Euro of various funds available which can be accessed by local, provincial and republic government but also non-governmental organisation and other entities. New investments will refer to agriculture, infrastructure energy and there are human resoruces capable of achieving this common goal – said the Mayor Mihajlov.
- I haveto point out that this status is achieved in one of the hardest and the most demanding periods of modern Serbian history. This, for sure, upgrade our rating with investors because now we are not marked any more as a turbulent and unstable region. Now new opportunities are opening to us with about 300 million Euro of various funds available which can be accessed by local, provincial and republic government but also non-governmental organisation and other entities. New investments will refer to agriculture, infrastructure energy and there are human resoruces capable of achieving this common goal – said the Mayor Mihajlov.
Welcoming the news from Brussels and congratulating the citizen of Zrenjanin, Vojvodina and Serbia for the EU candidate membership status of Serbia, the President of Zrenjanin City Assembly, Aleksandar Marton, reminded that the late Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić routed that path back in 2000 and although it was expected much earlier, now Serbia definitely enters into the family of the European nations.
- Candidate status automatically means that we have become , not full, but still members of EU, that EU flag is , now, actually, the flag Of Serbia too, and all the values of Serbia are now to be integrated into EU, to build, jointly with other countries, a better and brighter future of a peaceful and perspective Europe. For Zrenjanin it is also a great piece of news and it is up to us how we are going to use this opportunity and available European funds, and the Government of Republic of Serbia is expected to start negotiations on EU accession as soon as possible, and, similarly, as Croatia, after 5-6 years become a full member of the European Union – said Aleksandar Marton.
- Candidate status automatically means that we have become , not full, but still members of EU, that EU flag is , now, actually, the flag Of Serbia too, and all the values of Serbia are now to be integrated into EU, to build, jointly with other countries, a better and brighter future of a peaceful and perspective Europe. For Zrenjanin it is also a great piece of news and it is up to us how we are going to use this opportunity and available European funds, and the Government of Republic of Serbia is expected to start negotiations on EU accession as soon as possible, and, similarly, as Croatia, after 5-6 years become a full member of the European Union – said Aleksandar Marton.
After the candidate membership status approval it is expected to start a process of accession preparation which would be the next step of Euro integrations.
