A delegation of the Investment Development Bank of the Republic of Srpska spoke in Belgrade with the Director of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Arnaud Gouillon, about the economic empowerment of local communities and cooperation potential on implementing joint projects in the Republic of Srpska.

The discussion placed special emphasis on the empowerment of returnees, small farmers and herders.

Gouillon said on this occasion that good experience was already there with sustainable development pilot projects that had been launched two years before.

– In Bosanski Petrovac, we supported herders by providing them with pregnant heifers, and we also supported farmers in Posavina and beekeepers in Grahovo by providing them with assistance in mechanization. We successfully implemented a similar project last year in the north of Montenegro. That is why I believe that we can, with equal success, continue this year with similar projects in the Republic of Srpska – said Gouillon.

The IDB informed Gouillon about the past results of the implementation of the Financial Mechanism for Integrated and Sustainable Local Development Projects Financing in the Republic of Srpska, which supported the implementation of 69 projects in local communities throughout the Republic of Srpska with an allocation of BAM 5.5 million. These funds were approved on grant basis.

The discussions also covered the potential for joint local development projects implementation through the established Financial Mechanism managed by the IDB. It was assessed that achieving long-term sustainability of this mechanism was in the best interest of further socio-economic development of Srpska and its local communities.

It was also agreed to continue cooperating on designing a model of support for local economic development and strengthening of rural areas, which would involve, in addition to the IDB, the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region.