Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2013

In the Balkans, following the opening of accession negotiations between the European Union and Montenegro (June 2012) and Serbia (June 2013), Luxembourg’s cooperation is gradually withdrawing from these two countries, where the final two programmes underway have just been finalised: vocational training in Montenegro; water networks in the town of Novi Pazar and Caritas’s mandate in Serbia.

The projects are now focused on Kosovo. On 23 April 2013, the first partnership committee between Luxembourg and Kosovo took place in Luxembourg: during which, a new general cooperation agreement was signed setting the framework for collaboration between the two countries for 2013 to 2016. This framework lists the main principles for Luxembourg action and specifies a focus on the education/vocational training, health and water and sanitation sectors. Of course, this is occurring without prejudice to the programmes which remained to be finalised in other sectors, especially agriculture (in collaboration with the FAO) and an agricultural census (via UNOPS). The increased formalisation of our development cooperation has gone hand in hand with the strengthening of diplomatic relations with Kosovo, since the Cooperation Office in Pristina became, on 25 April 2013, an embassy overseen by a non-resident ambassador.

The Luxemburgish NGO Caritas is continuing to implement via its office in Ferizaj, the projects under mandate in social spheres and community development.