Belgrade, May 30, 2003 - Serbian Minister of Labour and Employment Dragan Milovanovic, Canadian Ambassador to Belgrade Donald McLennan, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representative Francis O'Donnell and Belgrade Mayor Radmila Hrustanovic signed on Friday a document marking the beginning of a training and temporary employment project, called "Beautiful Serbia".
The first phase of the project will begin in Belgrade, and the necessary funds ($650,000) were secured by the Canadian government through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the UNDP, the Belgrade City Assembly and the Serbian Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to Milovanovic, the project involves a new method of launching public works through the training and temporary employment in construction of the currently unemployed, refugees, internally-displaced persons and persons of Roma origin at ten locations in Belgrade.
The project aims to reduce unemployment and improve citizens' quality of life. The first phase will include 100 workers. Between 400 and 500 workers will be temporary employed for an average of two months.
Ambassador McLennan said that Canada joined the project with the aim of helping the Serbian government and the Ministry of Labour in their efforts to reduce unemployment.
O'Donnell said that the UNDP also launched a temporary employment project in four southern municipalities and voiced hope that these projects will soon include another 11 municipalities, and ultimately cover the whole of Serbia.
