Project supported by OSCE Mission to Skopje helps municipalities to strengthen co-operation

SKOPJE, 23 February 2009 - Promoting business opportunities through creating an electronic database and producing business catalogues to attract potential investors are examples of the outcomes of an OSCE-supported project that was presented in the Delcevo Municipality today.

A grant awarded by the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje in mid-July 2008 has helped four municipalities - Delcevo, Pehcevo, Vinica and Berovo - to join forces to improve their urban planning, administration of taxes and economic development.

"Inter-municipal co-operation is an efficient tool for the delivery of many different services to citizens, particularly for small and medium-sized municipalities," said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"Partnerships between two or more municipalities are an excellent strategy to help the local authorities to deal with their responsibilities under the law on local self-government."

Delcevo Mayor Mirko Ivanov added: "This joint venture has laid the foundation of excellent co-operation among our respective municipalities, which we believe will also continue in the future. It is up to us now to further enhance the achieved results and promote our businesses to potential investors."

Other groups of municipalities that have received OSCE Mission grants for co-operation are: Lipkovo-Aracinovo, Ohrid-Debarca and Cesinovo-Oblesevo-Zrnovci.