First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic met today with Mr. Stephan Sellen, Deputy Director General of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), who is on a working visit to Belgrade.

In a cordial and constructive meeting, they commended the progress made in its framework as they discussed the Regional Housing Programme being carried out by Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in cooperation with the UNHCR and the OSCE, including participation of the Council of Europe Development Bank and other partners and donors.

It was underlined in the meeting that the Republic of Serbia attached great importance to this process as an example of good practice. It was pointed out that the Republic of Serbia had, in addition to refugees, also received a large number of internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija, who were still awaiting a solution after as many as 19 years.

The officials stressed the importance of the projects being implemented in Serbia by the Council of Europe Development Bank, including the provision of funding for health sector infrastructure reconstruction projects.