Novi Sad Fair in the sign of European Territorial Cooperation

The jubilee, tenth National Conference on European Territorial Cooperation Programmes, entitled "Global Europe: Shaping Tomorrow's Cooperation Today", was held at the Novi Sad Fair, organized by the Ministry of European Integration every two years with the aim of improving cooperation with partners from the region and the European Union.

The conference is open to representatives of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, the countries of the region, the European Commission and the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, as well as participants interested in the development of territorial and regional cooperation.
The attendees were addressed by the Mayor of Novi Sad, Žarko Mićin, who pointed out that Novi Sad has a lot to offer to partners across Europe.
"Novi Sad has a lot to offer to many partners in Europe, but also to learn from other cities. Today's conference will open up space for even more cooperation and concrete projects, Mićin emphasized.
During the conference, programs and initiatives of importance for the Republic of Serbia were presented, including Euro-MED, Interact, ESPON, Interreg Europe and URBACT, intended for cities from the IPA region, as well as activities within the Danube Strategy.
Minister of European Integration, Nemanja Starović, pointed out that Serbia is involved in cross-border, transnational and interregional programs that connect our country with partners and neighbors.

- The results of cooperation are measurable. In addition to the implementation of current programs, we are also preparing for the new programming period 2028-2034, and our task is to design future programs in such a way that we respond even more strongly to the needs of the region, Starović concluded.
The conference was also attended by Ivan Stoilković, Minister of Local Self-Government of the Republic of North Macedonia; Ivan Shishkov, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works of the Republic of Bulgaria; Morey Gilland, representative of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission; Nuria Aldao, representative of the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Commission; as well as Andreas von Beckerath, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia.
As part of the conference, several panels discussed Serbia's role in European Territorial Cooperation programmes, opportunities for further strengthening territorial and regional cooperation, exchange of experiences and examples of good practice, as well as opportunities that European programmes provide to institutions, local self-governments and other stakeholders.
A special significance of the conference was given by the international character of the conference, which brought together representatives of ministries and institutions from Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia.