Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic attended yesterday the signing of the Contract on construction of a central facility for wastewater treatment in Leskovac, which will significantly improve the quality of life of its citizens and reduce risks to public health.

Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic and Dutch Ambassador to Serbia Laurent Stokvis signed the Contract on donation of the Dutch government in the amount of €7, 9 million for the expansion of the sewage network in more than 20 settlements in the territory of Leskovac.

Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Vincent Degert and representative of company Strabag Ivica Budisa signed the Contract on the construction of a central facility for wastewater treatment in Leskovac.

The EU also takes part in financing the project of collection and treatment of wastewaters in Leskovac with a grant worth €10.4 million, the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning with €5 million and the municipality of Leskovac with €650,000.

The project should be completed in mid 2014, and the works will be carried out by the Austrian firm Strabag, which was chosen under tender procedure.

After the signing of these documents in the Leskovac City Hall, Cvetkovic said that this project is worth €24 million and that it will significantly improve the quality of life of almost 80,000 citizens.

He stated that the largest amount of funds for realisation of this project are given by the EU and the Netherlands in the form of non-repayable grants, adding that this project shows the importance and need for cooperation with the EU.

Minister of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic said that once this project is completed, along with the previously constructed landfill, Leskovac will have all the necessary conditions to become one of the biggest areas for production of organic food in Europe.

He explained that Leskovac is the only city in Serbia which can pride itself on gathering so many donors and using financing from all bilateral and European funds for international assistance with the purpose of improving the lives of citizens.

Stokvis declared that the Netherlands is a reliable partner of Serbia in the process of European integration, and expressed confidence that in the future his country will become increasingly involved in the projects for boosting economies.

He said that the Netherlands will continue to assist local governments, especially through agricultural projects.

Austrian Ambassador to Serbia Clemens Koja said that his country wants to support the sustainable development of municipalities in southern Serbia, both in Leskovac and in the districts of Jablanica and Pcinja.

Koja recalled that Austria currently finances two projects worth €3 million, of which one is related to sustainable development and another to incentives for the production of organic food.