EU to provide Belarus with €29 million in assistance
The Head of the EU Delegation in Minsk, Andrea Victorin, reported on March 31st that the European Union will provide 29 million euros of financial assistance to Belarus in 2016, twice as much as in 2015, as reported by Radio Polsha. “This money is being used for three main areas: the issue of migration, regional economic development and the issue of technical assistance,” the representative of the European Union said.
Andrea Victorin also noted that the deicision signifies cooperation between regional authorities, civil society and other partners, with a purpose of balanced regional development, which is more important than the amount of financial assistance. The memorandum of cooperation between the UN Development Program and authorities of 30 Belarusian regions, within the general program of the EU and UNDP, was signed on March 31.
The support for the development at the regional level in the Republic of Belarus confirms the readiness of regional authorities to adopt a territorial approach to the development of small cities and rural areas. The representatives from the local authorities of Belarus can participate in special programs and trips to the EU countries with the purpose of getting experience in the area of regional development.