Ambassador Warlick Visits Vranje

Vranje, January 25. 2012.

Ambassador Mary Warlick and USAID/Serbia Mission Director Susan K. Fritz meet the press at the USAID 50/10 anniversary celebration and the Kostana Shoe Cluster launch.

Members of the Kostana Shoe Cluster chat with Ambassador Mary Warlick in Vranje following the official launch of their organization

On January 24 Ambassador Mary Warlick visited Vranje to take part in a USAID “50/10 Anniversary” event and the opening of the Kostana Shoes Cluster. USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development, was founded 50 years ago by President John F. Kennedy, and in late 2011 – ten years ago – USAID established its mission in Serbia. During the past decade, USAID has been working in partnership with citizens of Serbia to revitalize communities, strengthen their economy, and streamline courts and government offices. Of the $810 million in assistance the U.S. Government has provided in Serbia in those ten years, over $660 million was through USAID. The Kostana Shoe Cluster, founded with USAID assistance in 2011, is one small example of USAID programming. The cluster is a consortium of 14 South Serbian shoe manufacturers that is working to achieve economies of scale, share best practices, and advocate for common goals for the manufacture and sale of high-quality footwear.

While in Vranje, Ambassador Warlick also visited the National Museum in Vranje, which dates back to 1765 and features a collection of artifacts from Roman excavations, medieval coins, traditional costumes, and craftwork. Ambassador Warlick concluded her trip with an interview at RTV Vranje.