Stephen Wordsworth

Down Sandzhak Way..

On 27 May I had a series of meetings in Novi Pazar and Prijepolje, in the Sandzhak region of south-west Serbia.  I saw the Mayors of both towns, other officials, and representatives of NGOs and the media.  The scenery is beautiful, but the region has a lot of problems.  Novi Pazar in particular was managed disastrously badly in the past, which has left the town in a desperate situation; and in both towns there is high unemployment and little if any recent investment.  The region has also long had a serious problem with organised crime, lying as it does on the edge of Serbia, with borders to Kosovo, Bosnia and Montenegro. 

The good news is that the two main communities in the region, Christian Serb and Moslem Bosniak, seem to get along quite well, but in recent days there have been tensions within the Islamic community, which is now divided between two rival religious leaders.  The UK runs a number of projects in the region, working with the OSCE and other partners, aimed at improving local administration, strengthening the justice sector, and helping young people.  But as I said to everyone there, outsiders can only do so much.  Ultimately, the region's future depends on its leaders; and the most important thing now is for any disagreements to be resolved by calm dialogue, not stirred up further with heated rhetoric.  That would only frighten outside investors away completely, and condemn the region to further years of hardship.

Posted at 10:18 02 June 2009 by Stephen Wordsworth  |  Comments[3]