European Commission to aid Serbia 80 mln euros to help with administrative reform

European Commission signed a donation contract worth 80 million euros(85.78 million U.S. dollars) with Serbia on Monday to help the latter with its reform on administration.

The donation from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Fund was signed at the EU Info Centre in Belgrade between Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbia's minister in charge of EU integration and Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, EC's director for Western Balkans.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and European Commissioner of European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn were also present.

After the signing, Vucic explained at a joint press conference with Hahn that the money will be spent on modernization of public administration so that "people will be able to finish most of administrative procedures at home," instead of going to a relevant institution.

According to Vucic, it will "significantly raise living standards of people."

The prime minister also pledged to use the money in the best possible way, and repeated the government's attitude to be "a loyal and reliable partner that EU can count on" despite all problems that EU faces.

Meanwhile, Hahn announced that Serbia will be granted to open "one or even more" chapters within European integration process at the meeting of the European Commission next week.

Serbia officially applied for European Union membership on Dec. 22, 2009. The Council of the European Union approved opening negotiations on Serbia's accession in January 2014. Enditem