Address of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic at a ceremony to hand keys to apartments for the refugees in Kladovo under the Regional Housing Program in the Republic of Serbia:

"Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,

I have just come from Negotin where we handed the keys to apartments to 20 families who, due to the war in the nineties had to flee the territories of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have arrived to your beautiful town on the same occasion – under the Regional Housing Programme, in cooperation with the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration and the local government headed by President of the Municipality of Kladovo Sasa Nikolic, we are today handing the keys to 10 apartments to 10 families who had to leave their homes at the height of the war in the nineties.
I am deeply moved by the emotions of the people from Negotin and I cannot stress enough how happy I am to know that the worries, at least those related to housing, are over for all of you to whom we hand the keys today. With the roof over your head everything else is made easier.

Subproject 4 is worth 18.7 million euros, out of which 16.6 million comes from donors, whereas national contributions account for 2.1 million. In the framework of this Subproject, apartments are to be built in 13 municipalities. We handed the keys to families in Arilje, Zrenjanin and Loznica recently, and just before we came here – to families in Negotin.

The Republic of Serbia's participation in the Regional Housing Programme amounts to a total of 25.3 million euros – this refers primarily to the land and accompanying infrastructure in the units of local self-government where the apartments for refugees are built. Under this Programme in Serbia, the funds have been allocated for the housing of over 7,000 refugee families.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to the European Union – the biggest donor to the Regional Housing Programme, Council of Europe Development Bank – which manages the Fund, as well as to the OSCE and UNHCR.

After 25 years of your suffering and struggles, we are happy to hand the keys to 10 apartments and make as many families happy. Fighting for your dear life, you lost the roof over your heads, you lost your homes. Many years have passed since then. Nevertheless, time is usually crawling when you are struggling. This is why I am particularly glad we are here together and that we can say, both for real and symbolically, that you again have your homes.

From the bottom of my heart I wish you all good health and well-being, a long life and peace in your new apartments!

Thank you!"