Development assistance

Coordinator Regional Programme: Heleen Baartmans

Second secretary for development assistance: Mark Rutgers van der Loeff

Senior officer for development assistance: Aleksandra Kalinic

Financial officer: Martin Ouwens

Serbia and Montenegro are the countries that have been and still are transforming – politically, economically and socially – into democratic, market-oriented societies.

The Government of the Netherlands supports these transition processes through variety of development programs that are based on the bilateral cooperation between the Netherlands and the two countries, as well as through regional programs that concern the wider Western Balkan region.

On a bilateral level, the Netherlands has made several assistance programs available to Serbia and Montenegro, with the main focus on support to the following sectors: Private Sector Development, Rule of Law and Institutional Development/ Good Governance.

The regional approach was defined in 2004 by the policy note Regional Approach for the Western Balkans. This policy note identifies five areas of regional development cooperation:

1. Refugees and displaced persons, integration and migration;
2. Environment;
3. Private sector development;
4. Promoting the rule of law, public safety and military security;
5. Supporting cross-border initiatives of municipalities in the region.

Based on this note, the Balkans Regional Programme (BRP) and the Regional Environmental Programme (REP) were established with the goal to foster regional cooperation among the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia and Montenegro.

For more detailed information about the development programmes, please follow the links below:

• Bilateral cooperation with Serbia

• Bilateral cooperation with Montenegro

• Balkans Regional Programme

• Regional Environmental Programme