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USAID celebrates a decade of partnership with Serbia and a half century of assistance worldwide

U.S. Ambassador Mary Warlick and USAID Mission Director Susan Fritz celebrated the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) 10th year of service in Serbia and 50th year of providing assistance worldwide at a reception in Novi Sad, on March 26th. Apart from representatives of businesses, local and province authorities, judiciary, academy, USAID beneficiaries and CSOs from Vojvodina, Mr. Bojan Pajtic, Vojvodina Prime Minister, also attended the event.

Cutting the cake at 50/10 anniversary celebration in Novi Sad (from left to right): Igor Pavlicic, Mayor of Novi Sad, Mary Burce Warlick, US ambassador, Ljubica Stankov, Biotrend owner, Susan Fritz, USAID Mission director and Bojan Pajtic, Vojvodina Prime Minister.

“In Serbia, USAID was instrumental in the recent launch of Novi Sad’s municipal bond offering, the first of its kind in the nation. It helped rebuild the banking system. It was instrumental in the establishment of 32 municipal Citizen Assistance Centers, “one-stop shops” for citizens to quickly obtain construction permits. USAID has also advocated for the adoption of laws and policies that have strengthened the judiciary and the government; and it has worked to ensure that women, youth, and ethnic minorities are part of Serbia’s political process”, said the US ambassador Mary Warlick.

Igor Pavlicic, the Mayor of Novi Sad congratulates the USAID's 50/10 anniversary to Mary Burce Warlick, US ambassador

Ljubica Stankov, the owner of USAID beneficiary Biotrend, said: “USAID provided us with trainings and education, it taught us to plan strategically, to communicate and negotiate, and present our companies and products. USAID taught us how to use the financial assistance in a most effective way and to become eligible for further subsidies from the local self-governments”.

Ljubica Stankov, the owner of the Biotrend, a USAID beneficiary, thanking USAID for all the assistance provided to her company, enabling the company to exhibit at the most famous world trade fairs, thus increasing the sales in the country and abroad