RECEPTION AT THE CITY HALL FOR THE FINALIST CITIES

The Mayor of Novi Sad, Miloš Vučević, received the representatives of Klaipeda, European Youth Capital 2021, as well as three other cities from the final round of the selection for the prestigious title. The ceremony of the announcement was held in Novi Sad and Klaipeda (Lithuania), Varaždin (Croatia), Greater Nicosia (Cyprus) and Chișinău (Moldova) were in the final round of the competition.

“A positive message from Novi Sad went yesterday to all of Europe, and I think that we were worthy of the task we received from European Youth Forum and that we showed that we have strong capacities, primarily in people. I would like to congratulate Klaipeda on winning the prestigious title, but also those who reached the final round. I believe that all of them are bringing positive impressions about our city and citizens and that they will visit us again in 2019 when they will be able to see how Novi Sad holds the title of the European Capital. Many programmes, events are ahead of us, there will also be investments in infrastructure with the financial support to youth organizations. We will double the budget intended for young people and we will be an example to many in the youth policy”, the Mayor Vučević said, and he reminded that Novi Sad let youth organisations create the proposal of the local action plan for young people, with the support of city management, with the purpose of, as he said, young people saying to live in Novi Sad.

Youth Matters Coordinator of the city of Klaipeda, Aistės Andriuškevičiūtės thanked the Mayor and all hosts for the hospitality in Novi Sad.

“We are very happy for the win because we have worked hard on that for the last two years. Our youth organisations and the city management unified their strengths and we are thankful to our government and the whole Europe for believing in us”, Aistės Andriuškevičiūtės stated.

According to Vukašin Grozanović, OPENS Coordinator, the grand opening of the programme in the year of the title will be organised on 26 January.

“More than 200 activities which will include 500,000 young people will be executed in 2019. The programmes will be free of charge for all, and we will continue with the actions in the regions and European cities, moreover, OPENS will be presented in the United Nations. Our goal is the creation of sustainable youth policy. Next year, OPENS budget will be RSD 320 million, and the programmes will not be written only by experts, but it will be created in cooperation with young people, and almost 50% of that budget will go to the organisations which implement three-year programs”, Vukašin Grozdanović said.

Until the beginning of the year and the takeover of the year of the capital, OPENS is preparing a lot of events for all young people in Novi Sad.