October 25, 2005
Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

Ambassador Michael C. Polt Awards Apartment Keys to Mladenovac Refugees

On Wednesday, October 26, U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Polt and President of Mladenovac Municipality Zoran Kostic will officially present keys to forty refugees, internally displaced persons, and locally vulnerable residents at a new apartment complex in Mladenovac Municipality.

The forty apartments housing the new residents were completed through the collaboration of USAID’s Community Revitalization through Democratic Action (CRDA) program, which began in Mladenovac in 2004, and the Mladenovac City Planning Office. Through cash and in-kind support, the City Planning Office matched $468,000 from the American people through USAID. The total value of the apartment renovation was $956,000. ACDI/VOCA implemented the project on USAID’s behalf.

Resettlement of locally vulnerable residents, internally displaced persons, and refugees continues to be a priority for the U.S. mission to Serbia and Montenegro. In Mladenovac, the awarding of keys to the apartments’ new residents shows that U.S.-Serbian government collaboration is producing meaningful results. Successful resettlement of these regional residents will allow further work toward another prime goal shared by both the U.S. and Serbia: an increased standard of living and better job opportunity for all citizens.

For more information on the event please contact Goran Djordjevic, ACDI/VOCA Public Education Director, at 034-33-11-45 (office) or 063-61-56-91 (mobile) or via email at gdjordjevic@acdivoca.org.yu.

Journalists interested in covering this event are kindly invited to be at the new apartments located at Municipality Colony, Branislav Nusic Street #5 & #7, in Mladenovac, no later than 10:45 on Wednesday, October 26, 2005.

CRDA is a five-year community development program that seeks to motivate citizens to improve their quality of life, promote economic development, and build trust between citizens and local authorities. CRDA is one way in which USAID supports Serbia and Montenegro in their goal to be democratic, prosperous, and moving toward Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ambassador Michael C. Polt and President of Mladenovac Municipality Zoran Kostic

Ambassador Polt hands over keys to an apartment

Ambassador Polt, President of Mladenovac Municipality Zoran Kostic, and new apartment owners

The apartment building, a donation from the American People to the People of Mladenovac

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