Miscevic: Germany more than a trade partner

BELGRADE - Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic said on Friday Germany was Serbia's largest foreign investor and its largest donor of development aid.

Miscevic said German aid in the past 23 years totalled 2.3 bln euros and could be compared only to EU grants.

At a conference on Serbia-EU bilateral ties, hosted by the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK) on Thursday evening, Miscevic said Germany was more than a trade partner and that it was providing major political support to Serbia.

She said the bulk of the financial cooperation was in the energy sector, environmental protection and support to SMEs.

"The most significant projects are upgrades and boosts to the Bajina Basta and Zvornik hydropower plants, heating systems in over 20 municipalities in Serbia and 24 water supply and waste water treatment projects, and we have also begun to improve energy efficiency in 20 primary schools," Miscevic said.

She said that, besides financial aid, the cooperation with Germany also included technical cooperation, in particular, a reform of higher education that relied on Germany's vast experience in dual education.