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SARAJEVO, July 23 (FENA) - Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative to BiH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark and Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in BiH Sukhrob Khoshmukhamedov visited Modriča today where they were informed about the activities within the program of recovery from floods and landslides, and the achievements within the Local Integrated Development project implemented in this municipality with the support of EU and UNDP.
All-day visit began with a visit to the Oteža settlement in Modriča, where houses are being built for the families that lost their homes in floods and landslides in 2014.
Nine families in Modriča will get new homes, while 22 housing units will be repaired to provide adequate living conditions, all within the EU-funded project 'Flood Recovery - Housing Interventions' worth EUR 15 million.
This kind of cooperation, Wigemark pointed out, is the one that the European Union wants to develop.
“We want to work with local self-governments because it is the best way to reach citizens. We work with entity and state authorities, but we see the best results in local communities,” said Wigemark.
Khoshmukhamedov stressed that the Modriča Municipality has been one of the examples of assistance after the catastrophic floods in 2014, where the local community has made a transition from a recovery to development, applying an integrated approach.
"Cost optimization produced savings of over half a million KM, all of which will be invested in development projects," said Khoshmukhamedov.
The EU and UNDP representatives also met with municipal leaders and local entrepreneurs who presented them the results achieved within the existing projects and economic challenges they face in this municipality in the north of the country.
“We would like to thank all those who believed it is important to help the development of Modriča. We have made people happy together and that is what is important,” said the Mayor of Modriča Municipality Mladen Krekić.
One of the beneficiaries of the Flood Recovery Program is Stana Petrović, who says that she cannot describe how happy she is "because the most important thing in life is to have roof over your head."
Her home was destroyed in landslides in 2014. Her new home is under construction in the village of Oteža.
After the visit to the construction site in Oteža, the delegation visited the sports hall which was also restored with the support of the European Union as part of the Local Integrated Development project.
During this visit, Wigemark and Khoshmukhamedov presented a donation of sports equipment for children with disabilities, stated the UNDP.
(FENA) S. R.
