Ethno Network in Knez Mihailova

Gallery “Progres”, in Knez-Mihailova in Belgrade, hosted a promotional exhibition of handicrafts on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. The exhibits included products made within the public works project sponsored by the Ministry of economy and regional development and National Employment Agency and implemented by Ethno Network.

The exhibition was open by Mladjan Dinkic, deputy prime-minister and minister of economy and regional development, as well as Smiljka Kerkez, sector for youth in the Ministry of youth and sports, Vladimir Ilic, director of National employment agency, Jim Stein, acting deputy USAID mission director for Serbia and Montenegro, and Violeta Jovanovic, Ethno Network President.

Within a portfolio of projects that are currently implemented by Ethno Network, there is the public works project in collaboration with the Ministry of economy and regional development and National Employment Agency that includes employment of 40 women from eight least developed municipalities in Serbia (Bela Palanka, Knjazevac, Kladovo, Negotin, Kucevo, Veliko Gradiste, Odzaci and Bor) to prepare select handicrafts as exclusive business gifts for representation purposes by the Government of Serbia protocol office.

Director of National Employment Agency (NSZ), Vladimir Ilic said that NSZ provided support to Ethno Network for two years in a row and announced that the production of authentic, traditional handicrafts will be supported in 2010 as well. Likewise, director Ilic announced the opportunity to support training programs provided by Ethno Network in order to enable women in rural areas of Serbia for market production of handicrafts.

The public works project in 2009 is valued at 7million dinars. Minister of economy and regional development, Mladjan Dinkic stated that the Ministry is ready to allocate more funding for 2010 and thus enable many more women to be included in public works project and produce handicrafts that can be marketed to tourists. Dinkic invite