The guests informed the chairmen of the two committees about the process of developing the Study on Financing Disaster Risk Reduction in the Republic of Serbia, implemented by the Emergency Situations Sector of the Ministry of the Interior, with the expert support of the abovementioned organisations, as part of the "Open Western Balkans" project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

Assistant Minister of the Interior Luka Causic, UNDRR representative Jelena Maric Lukovic and UNDP expert consultant Vasko Popovski said that climate change and the increasing frequency of natural disasters represent one of the greatest security, economic and fiscal risks facing Serbia. The number of interventions by the Emergency Situations Sector has been increasing year by year, they said and emphasised that this is why it is necessary not only to strengthen operational capacities, but also to establish systematic and sustainable financing for the prevention, preparedness and strengthening of the state's resilience to disasters.

Veroljub Arsic and MA Milovan Drecun emphasised the exceptional importance of this topic and the need for cross-sectoral cooperation. They expressed their readiness, as MPs and chairmen of two parliamentary committees, to contribute, within their capabilities, through adequate legislative activities, organising meetings and public hearings, as well as through exercising a supervisory role in the spending of public funds.

Local self-government units have a primary role in mapping problems and implementing measures to reduce disaster risks, Veroljub Arsic assessed. In this way, the focus shifts from financing the elimination of consequences to financing the prevention and elimination of disaster risks, he said.

MA Milovan Drecun particularly emphasised the importance of informing the public and raising awareness, even among school-age children, about the importance of prevention and adequate behaviour in the event of natural disasters and catastrophes.

The meeting was also attended by MPs Ugljesa Markovic and Darko Jovanovic. The participants jointly assessed that this consultative meeting represents an important step towards establishing a comprehensive approach to disaster risk management, which is a serious issue of national security, economic resilience and public financial stability.