EU grants €2.3m for migrant crisis in Serbia

Serbia and the Council of Europe Development Bank signed an agreement on a 2.3-million-euro (around 2.54 million U.S. dollars) grant Friday to help Serbia with migrant crisis.

The agreement was signed between Jadranka Joksimovic, minister in charge of EU integration, Aleksandar Vulin, minister of labor, and the deputy director of the Council of Europe Development Bank Stephan Sellen.

"The assistance will be used to secure food and medical supplies, expenses, heating, electricity and water for all shelters, as well as for distribution of footwear, clothes, blankets and items for personal hygiene," he explained.

Sellen expressed his satisfaction with the agreement, noting that Serbia is the first country to apply for grants from the migrant's fund which was established this year in order for them to have the access to necessities such as shelter and winter outfit.

Vulin said that he expects that two shelters in the village of Adasevci and the town of Sid will be finished thanks to the grant, and one more if necessary.

He added that the grant will improve sheltering capacities, secure salaries for those who work with migrants, which will improve the quality of life of migrants as they pass across Serbia.

"Every kind of assistance we get from the international community is in fact assistance to them, as we meet the needs of migrants and we secure all that they need," Vulin said.

Thanking the grant, Joksimovic said this is one of the first concrete assistances that Serbia got to solve the migrant crisis and added she expects the money will be spent in the most appropriate way.

Source: XINHUA