Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert signed at the Nikola Tesla thermo power plant in the Belgrade municipality of Obrenovac Friday a financial agreement on the European Union's EUR 178.5 million grant-in-aid to Serbia.

EU granted these funds to Serbia for the 2011 National Program, and the money will be used for projects which will help Serbia carry out the reforms necessary for the future EU membership, it was pointed out during the signing of the agreement.

Degert stated that the EU provides support and solidarity to Serbia's EU integration and wants to speed up the country's EU accession, adding that the EU's aid to Serbia in 2011 will total EUR 202.5 million.

The EU does not impose conditions only on Serbia, as the public often assumes, but also provides support on its EU integration pathway, Degert said, adding that the EU has so far donated to Serbia EUR 2.2 billion in total.

Djelic said that 23 projects worth EUR 178.5 million will be financed from the EU pre-accession funds this year, adding that EU's continual help to Serbia is invaluable.

This is the money allocated by the EU taxpayers for support to Serbia's EU integration, Djelic said, adding that the projects financed from these funds will more than ever meet the needs of the Serbian citizens and economy.

All 23 projects from the 2011 National Program will contribute to Serbia's EU integration, economic growth and social welfare, which will directly affect the improvement of everyday life of the Serbian citizens, Djelic stressed.

The signing of the financial agreement for the 2011 National Program represents the fifth instalment of funds in the total amount of EUR 1.4 billion, allocated by the EU for Serbia in the period 2007-2013.