Cross-Border Cooperation in Balkans Gains Momentum
While some in Serbia still treat cross-border exchanges with suspicion, many others see them as they are—efforts by local governments to reform and improve their work. When a municipality that wants to provide more efficient service to its citizens by improving its work or introducing new practices visits other municipalities in neighboring countries to learn best practices, it is an example of cross-border cooperation in action.
On the Macedonian-Serbian border, Venko Pašalski, the mayor of Berovo, Macedonia, is traveling to meet with an old friend, Miroljub Stojčić. Stojčić is the mayor of Vranje in southern Serbia, a municipality which boasts a Citizens Assistance Center and Local Economic Development Office, both implemented in partnership with USAID. Since Pašalski’s last visit four years ago, Vranje has become a model for other municipalities when it comes to providing services: indeed, the Citizens Assistance Center is recognized as one of the best in the region.
Further, in cooperation with USAID’s Municipal Economic Growth Activity (MEGA), Vranje has established a Business Improvement District, which is developing an industrial park and a master plan for local development. MEGA began in October 2005 with three key aims: to develop the skills of local governments and business groups to foster economic growth and job creation; to provide assistance in translating concepts and skills into action; and, to create a business-friendly environment where the private sector can flourish.
Word of Vranje’s successes spurred Pašalski’s visit to see his friend; he is eager to return to Berovo with ideas for implementing similar activities. But he is not alone. Through USAID-supported exchanges, many more municipal leaders in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia are traveling across borders to share experiences and build relationships that will enable their respective communities to prosper.
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| Zrenjanin’s industrial zone is under construction thanks to a visit to the Czech Republic by ten MEGA municipalities to gather best practices for local economic development |
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