Serbia
 |
Embassy |
|---|---|
 |
Mission / Delegation / Permanent Representation |
 |
Consulate general |
 |
Honorary representation |
 |
Cooperation office |
 |
Contribution Office |
 |
Embassy with Cooperation Office |
 |
Embassy with Regional consular center |
 |
Swiss Business Hub |
 |
Swissnex |
 |
City |
 |
Capital |
 |
Disputed border |
 |
River |
 |
Lake |
The collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s severely affected Serbia’s economy and infrastructure. The country has made considerable progress since then, however. In 2014, negotiations on membership with the EU began, many promising reforms for public administration and the economy were decided, and unemployment began to fall. Nevertheless, major challenges remain to ensure prosperity for all. Many people are living in poverty, and unemployment is high, especially in rural areas. The economy is growing only slowly and the EU accession negotiations are also only advancing at a slow pace.
Swiss Bilateral ODA |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 * |
|---|---|---|---|
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) |
|
|
|
Bilateral development cooperation |
10.78 |
12.53 |
12.50 |
Humanitarian aid |
- |
- |
- |
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) |
|
|
|
Economic Cooperation and Development |
11.77 |
11.57 |
8.86 |
Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) |
|
|
|
Conflict transformation and human rights |
0.10 |
0.05 |
0.17 |
Total SDC/SECO/PHRD |
22.65 |
24.15 |
21.53 |
Other Federal Offices |
|
|
|
Other FDFA Divisions (ASAF, AIO, aso) |
- |
- |
.. |
Network of FDFA representations abroad |
1.53 |
- |
.. |
State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) |
0.90 |
0.31 |
.. |
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) |
0.05 |
0.03 |
.. |
MeteoSwiss |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) |
- |
- |
.. |
Federal Statistical Office (FSO) |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) |
- |
- |
- |
State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) |
- |
- |
- |
Total other Federal Offices |
2.48 |
0.34 |
- |
Cantons and municipalities |
- |
.. |
.. |
Total |
25.13 |
24.49 |
21.53 |
Data status at 02.04.2024
* planned; total based on available data
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF
Democratic governance
Switzerland is supporting Serbia in the process of decentralisation. It is helping to make local administrations and governments transparent and efficient to enable them to provide high-quality services in line with the needs of the population as a whole and those of the private sector. Citizens, municipalities and civil society organisations are being helped to ensure that the interests and needs of all are taken into account at both local and national levels and that government is made accountable.
Economic development and employment
Switzerland is working in Serbia to promote sustainable economic growth. To achieve this, the framework conditions for Serbian companies are being improved to give them easier access to foreign markets and financing opportunities. In addition, Switzerland is promoting increased innovation and entrepreneurship to increase their competitiveness. It is facilitating the development of an efficient and effective finance administration that is both transparent and accountable. In order to reduce the high level of unemployment, market-oriented vocational training is being expanded, especially for young people and disadvantaged groups
Sustainable energy management and urban development
Improved energy efficiency and greater use of renewable energy sources not only contribute to lower CO2 emissions but also help meet the conditions for EU membership. Switzerland is supporting Serbia with innovative projects to further promote renewable energies, such as biomass and geothermal sources, thus reducing CO2 emissions. More efficient energy use is being achieved through rehabilitating district heating systems and renovating public buildings. Long-term energy planning and improvements to the administration of urban infrastructure is also expected to enable cities and municipalities to be better prepared for possible threats.
Migration
The aim of the migration partnership concluded between Switzerland and Serbia in 2009 is to address together the challenges of migration and exploit the economic and social potential to their mutual advantage. Various measures to achieve this are being supported, such as the reintegration of returnees and the prevention of irregular migration
Approaches and partners
Switzerland is coordinating its transition cooperation closely with local authorities, other donor countries and international organisations such as the EU, UN and the international financial institutions. All programmes of the SDC and State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) integrate the principles of good governance and gender equality.
Important partners for Switzerland in Serbia:
- Ministries, city and municipal authorities, national-level local authority associations
- Swiss and local NGOs.
- Bilateral and multilateral partners: the EU, Germany, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), UNDP, UNICEF, the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), KfW Group (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau).
