World Bank invests USD 4.5 million in cattle breeding, infrastructure and tourism at Mount Stara Planina

(Gostusa)

The World Bank has invested USD 4.5 million in the development of agriculture and cattle breeding at Mount Stara Planina and the development of infrastructure and rural tourism under the STAR transitional agriculture reform project, Chief of the STAR Project Supervision Team Olivera Jordanovic said Tuesday in Pirot.

- Under the auspices of the Global Environmental Fund, which has been run by the World Bank over the last six years, USD 4.5 million were set aside for the Stara Planina area. About 97 percent of these funds have been used to date - said Jordanovic.

The aim of this project was to back the rural development through the protection of the Stara Planina Nature Park as well as to help people start certain activities in line with the basic principles of rural development in the protected area.

On the occasion of the completion of the STAR project, Pirot has recently hosted a final conference attended by the representatives of the World Bank, municipalities of Pirot and Dimitrovgrad, non-government sector and the Srbijasume public company.

This conference was also attended by the head of the World Bank Office in Serbia, Lou Brefort, who assessed that the project completion opened up an opportunity for creating ideas for further development of that region abundant in beautiful landscapes.

He reiterated that one of the projects in which the World Bank was engaged was the construction of Corridor X, which is of great importance for the entire region.