NOVI SAD AND BELGRADE COOPERATE ON SOLVING MAIN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT PROBLEMS

Member of the Novi Sad City Council in charge of economy Goran Sečujski MSc, Head of the Novi Sad Mayor’s Office Aleksandar Petrović and their colleagues met the representatives of the Belgrade City Administration, including the member of the Belgrade City Council in charge of economy Mr. Radenko Durković and secretary of the Secretariat for the Economy Mrs. Tijana Maljković. The meeting covered the topics of agriculture, waterpower engineering, tourism and zoohygiene, for the purpose of exchanging experience and improving cooperation in the vital fields of local self-government activities.
Head of the Novi Sad Mayor’s Office Aleksandar Petrović said that the meeting represented the continuation of intensive cooperation between the two largest Serbian cities, as there had already been meetings dedicated to social welfare, as well as the meeting between the two mayors in December last year.
- We will discuss the problems that trouble both cities, we will confront our opinions and exchange experience. After the working meeting, we will visit the Novi Sad Fair in order to talk about the participation of Belgrade in the upcoming International Agricultural Fair, and we will also visit the Public Utility Company "Zoohygiene and Veterinary Medicine Novi Sad" and the Novi Sad Tourist Organization – said Mr. Petrović.
According to Mr. Sečujski, even though all cities in our country have similar problems, large cities have a lot of specific characteristics in common, therefore, it is important that they look for the best solutions together and to harmonize their attitudes about key steps in the initiative of changing certain legal acts.
- Belgrade is the only city in Europe with a 14% tourism increase when compared to the last year, so we will discuss that, as well as the joint appearance of our cities’ tourist organizations, which have signed the protocol on cooperation – said Mrs. Maljković.
Mrs. Maljković added that solving the unemployment problem is very important both for Belgrade and Novi Sad, and that the meeting will feature discussions about the flood protection and agricultural subsidies.

Novi Sad, 19^th March 2015