Dear Minister of Mining and Energy, Ms. Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic,

Dear Mayor, Mr. Popovic,

Dear Ambassador, Ms. Anke Konrad

Dear Mr. Hartman, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me to be in Majdanpek today, together with the Minister of Mining and Energy, Ms. Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, and the German partners, and being able to see the progress of the works on the construction of a new biomass heating plant.

Both Switzerland and Serbia are facing the challenge to decarbonize the economy to meet the obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and to deliver on our promises to leave a healthy planet to our children and grandchildren. For both our countries, this means to considerably increase the share of renewable energies in the years to come. In addition to this, ensuring sufficient supply of affordable energy has become an additional challenge in light of the disruptions caused by the Russian invasion to Ukraine. By diversifying energy sources, including more renewables and increasing energy efficiency we can address these challenges.

Switzerland supports decarbonisation of the district heating sector in Serbia with a 5 million EUR grant to the Renewable Energy for District Heating Program that the government of the Republic of Serbia, represented by the Ministry of Mining and Energy, is implementing with loans provided by German Development Bank KfW. With this support, fossil fuel fired boilers of the district heating system of selected Serbian municipalities are replaced with boilers fired by biomass. We are glad to note that works in Priboj, in Mali Zvornik and in Novi Pazar have already successfully been completed.

Switzerland is supporting this project in Majdanpek with over EUR 900,000 grant funds. The project will enable the consumers, the citizens and the environment of Majdanpek to benefit from a sustainable, efficient and reliable energy supply provided by an economically sound operating district heating company. As an illustration of the environmental impact of the new heating system, I may highlight that it will generate over 90% less carbon dioxide than the old system.

Let me conclude by assuring you, that energy and climate related cooperation will remain an important area of our bilateral Swiss-Serbian cooperation in the years to come, together with promoting economic development and employment and good governance through many projects all over Serbia.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to express my best wishes for a successful implementation of the works. I am looking forward to visit Majdanpek again when the construction works have finished and the heating plant is in operation!

Thank you!