Serbia, EU sign 219.9 mln euro IPA III financing agreement

BELGRADE - Serbia and the EU signed on Monday a 219.9 mln euro financing agreement for 2025-2027 under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III), and the amount includes a 139.4 mln euro EU grant.

"With additional funds of 80.5 mln euros, the Republic of Serbia will support the implementation of important projects, thus demonstrating its readiness to carry out reforms together with the EU that bring concrete changes to the lives of citizens," a government statement said.

"On behalf of Serbia, the agreement was signed by State Secretary at the Ministry of European Integration and National IPA Coordinator Mira Radenovic Bojic, and on behalf of the European Commission Director-General for the Western Balkans at the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood Valentina Superti.

Radenovic Bojic underlined that this agreement is not just a financial framework, but a joint message from Serbia and the EU that they want to secure a safer, more just and more promising future for citizens.

She underlined that this support enables Serbia to continue with reforms that strengthen institutions, improve public services and bring progress to all parts of the country.

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath said that the EU wants Serbia to join the Union as a fully democratic country and that EU pre-accession assistance has been designed to help Serbia strengthen its democratic institutions, improve key reforms and prepare to fully use all opportunities that membership in the Union brings," the statement said.

"We want a strong Serbia in the European family and will continue to stand by it at every step of the accession process," von Beckerath was quoted as saying.