Mayor of Belgrade prof. Dr. Zoran Radojičić and Mateo Kolandjeli, director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the Western Balkans region and director of the EBRD Office in Serbia, today signed a loan agreement in connection with the provision of long-term financing for the introduction of energy efficiency measures in four public buildings in Belgrade. This project is worth 16 million euros, of which 11 million euros are provided from grants from the European Union, from the EU Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), and five million euros from the Loan Agreement with the EBRD.
The event was attended by Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimović, Secretary for Investments Luka Petrović, Director of the Regional Agency for Development and European Integration Belgrade Snežana Radinović, as well as the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia Emanuel Žiofre.
The citizens of Belgrade will have more functional facilities at their disposal, especially the building of the Emergency Department, which will have an additional 6,000 square meters. No less important is the fact that with this project we will show that we are capable of implementing such projects together with the European Union and other partners, with the great help of the Ministry of European Integration. It should also be emphasized that this is a concrete contribution to better energy efficiency in Belgrade. In this way, we will establish a model that will be able to be implemented in a larger number of buildings in our city. In particular, I would like to point out that the City of Belgrade, in cooperation with the relevant ministries, managed to show its readiness to realize such a large project and to provide 11 million euros in grants, for which we are extremely grateful to the European Union - Radojičić said.
The Minister of European Integration, Jadranka Joksimović, reminded that four years ago, energy efficiency was not an issue that received as much attention during the implementation and planning of projects, as it is the case today.
- This means that we recognized the importance of this topic in the right way, and I thought it was the right time to "enter" this type of project, especially for the City of Belgrade. It was shown that in synergy with the European Union we recognized something that will be a topic in the coming years and decades, and all this was confirmed last week by the opening of cluster 4 - "Green agenda and sustainable connectivity" where one of the important segments is energy and energy efficiency - Joksimović said. in question.
I think that this is the starting point for reducing the emission of harmful gases, primarily carbon dioxide. Buildings that are renovated and energy efficient will certainly be more comfortable to use, and of course, after the implementation of this project, they will be more energy stable and safer. It is also a very good way to stimulate the creation of "green" jobs and investments in the local economy - emphasized Colandjeli.
The Ambassador of the European Union in Serbia, Emanuel Žiofre, pointed out that today's signing of the contract and the start of the implementation of these projects shows the joint commitment of the EU, Serbia and the City of Belgrade to "green energy". Energy efficiency plays a central role in this task, because with progress in this matter, we will consume less electricity and therefore reduce the emission of harmful gases. Also, the reduction of electricity costs should not be neglected - said Giofre.
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