Representatives of the French Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region visited SCTM

On October 24, 2023, delegation of the French region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes visited Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM). The delegation consisting of: Philippe Meunier, Vice President of the Region for International Relations, Bruno Chiaverini, Director of International Relations of the Region and Celine Paris, Manager for European Affairs of the Region, were received by Zoran Semenović, Deputy president of SCTM and President of the Municipality of Šid, Nikola Tarbuk, Secretary General of SCTM and Andrea Gudurić Janjušević, adviser for European integration and international cooperation at SCTM. The occasion for this meeting is continuation of cooperation after the study visit to Lyon in March of this year in which representatives of towns and municipalities participated organized by SCTM.

Zoran Semenović, president of the Municipality of Šid and Deputy president of SCTM, welcomed the representatives of French region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, emphasizing the importance of cooperation established during the study visit to Lyon, hoping their visit to Serbia will be equally successful.

"During that visit, we had the opportunity to see for ourselves the traditional ties between our two countries and many similarities we have in culture and interests, but also to see how much we can learn from the experiences and practices of your region, especially in industrial and technological development. We have friends in the Republic of France, and I am sure that your help and support will be of great importance in the process of integration of Serbia in the European Union, which should help us cooperate and develop even better".

Philippe Meunier, Vice President of the Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, stated that the aim of the visit is to further strengthen cooperation with Serbia, as a country that is a candidate for membership in the European Union.

"We want to organize French-Serbian meetings in one of the local self-governments of the Republic of Serbia, in which representatives of local self-governments and companies from both countries will participate. In this way, we would establish and strengthen relations and connections with Serbian towns and municipalities, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, business community and other interested parties, through concrete activities that would be subject to agreement and detailed consideration as part of future French-Serbian meetings. In addition, we are ready to share our experiences and examples of good practice on the use of EU funds, but also to participate in the implementation of concrete initiatives in partnerships with Serbian towns and municipalities through the programs of the European Union," said Meunier.

Nikola Tarbuk, Secretary General of SCTM, emphasized the importance of cooperation with partners from France in numerous areas, especially in the process of European integration.

"We are pleased to host you today and we are very interested in cooperation on projects and strengthening the capacities of towns and municipalities in accessing European Union funds, especially bearing in mind that local self-governments have great potential for the implementation of activities, which they shown while participating in projects implemented by SCTM", added the Secretary General of SCTM.

Finally, it was agreed to continue the discussion about organizing French-Serbian meetings in the fall of 2024 in the Republic of Serbia, as well as about training for a certain number of representatives of local self-governments in Serbia on the topic of European integration and management of European Union funds, which would be held in the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Andrea Gudurić Janjušević, adviser for European integration and international cooperation at SCTM, thanked the delegation of the French region for the visit and stated that it is a great privilege to have the support of one of the most developed regions in the Republic of France, which in its international activities prioritizes relations with the Republic of Serbia and its local governments.

 "Participation in trainings and capacity building in the field of European integration and access to EU funds are continuously needed, and every opportunity in which representatives of local self-governments can acquire more knowledge and skills in that area is beneficial in many ways," concluded Gudurić Janjušević.