The European Union Local Development Program EU PRO Plus invited applications to finance economic infrastructure projects, a press release said on Monday.

The EU PRO Plus program is being implemented with the Serbian European Integration Ministry, it said and added that 4.8 million Euro have been secured for the projects which should improve conditions for investments in production, services and tourism and create new jobs in several areas of the country.

“With the EU grants, cities and municipalities now have the opportunity to improve economic infrastructure in industrial zones, their tourist infrastructure and thus create conditions for new investments and new jobs,“ European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovi is quoted as saying.

EU delegation chief Emanuele Giaufret said the EU is providing for Serbia’s economic development with focus on less developed parts of the country. “By offering new opportunities and jobs to people, especially youth will be encouraged to stay living and working in the places where they were born and revive the economic perspectives of these beautiful parts of Serbia,” he said.