Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic and President of the Svilajnac municipality Gorica Dincic-Tasic signed a Protocol on realisation and financing of the project “Centre for Natural Sciences”, worth €5 million.

Djelic underlined that the Serbian government supports this project in order to bring science closer to the young, and at the same time to create a new economic basis for Svilajnac municipality.

He noted that science and technology should not be concentrated only in Belgrade and the big cities, and announced that the construction will begin in September this year, with a planned completion date in May 2012.
The“Centre for Natural Sciences” will work as part of the Centre for Promotion of Science and will be financed with funds from the European Investment Bank intended for research and development in the public sector.

The total value of the project is €5 million, of which the municipality will provide one-quarter.

Upon its completion, it will be the only centre of its kind in Serbia and a unique scientific and educational institution in the Balkans, and for its exhibitions, unique in eastern Europe as well.

This centre will have an exhibition space with eight replicas of dinosaurs and 45 original exhibits, and at its entrance, there will be a presentation of development of the biosphere on the Earth, with 35 items from the prehistoric water world – fossils of fish and dinosaurs.
There will be three big replicas of dinosaurs in the central part, and in the very centre there will be original fossils of motosaurs, the oldest species of dinosaurs, 245 million years old.

This centre will cover an area of 1.2 hectares and will also include an amusement park.
After visiting Svilajnac, Djelic also visited the industrial zones in Cuprija and Paracin, where he met with the leadership of these municipalities and representatives of companies.

He stressed that Zmic industrial zone, which is located on Corridor 10, is a great asset for the development of Paracin and for attracting foreign investment, adding that without good projects it is not possible to acquire funds for new investment.

As coordinator of European funds I would like to see projects which can be financed, remarked the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that Paracin and Cuprija have a chance of getting funds from the Danube strategy.

Djelic highlighted that Serbia is now stable and competitive and has plenty to offer when it comes to infrastructure and human resources, which is very important. He observed that Europe is exiting the recession gradually and Serbia should make use of opportunities in this context.

Speaking about the session of the German-Serbian Business Council held in Berlin yesterday, at which representatives of the two countries examined ways of improving cooperation , Djelic said that Germany is a central economic power in the continent which is successfully competing on tough world markets.

Now is the moment to utilise the potential of Germany and other countries which rely on it, such as Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, as their business people will look for a place where to expand profitably, underlined Djelic.
This is also the background of a visit by German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to Belgrade tomorrow. The focus during the visit will be on economy and it is no accident that Germany, Austria and some other countries have shown great interest in developments here, concluded Djelic.