Belgrade, December 16 – The Development Agency of Serbia (RAS), through its team responsible for the implementation of standardized mentoring services, in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), organized this year’s “All Mentor Meeting” in Belgrade. The event brought together certified mentors from regional development agencies across Serbia.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks by Chigiru Yamashita, Chief Representative of the JICA Balkan Office; Shinichiro Kato, JICA expert for small and medium-sized enterprise projects  and Ana Žegarac, Project Manager (RAS). They underscored the importance of continuous professional development for mentors and knowledge exchange as key pillars for delivering high-quality support to businesses.

The program continued with presentations by Dragana Belenzada, mentor from the Center for the Development of the Jablanica and Pčinja Districts - Leskovac, and Milica Čukarić, mentor from the Regional Agency for Economic Development of Šumadija and Pomoravlje (REDASP) in Kragujevac. They shared their experiences, newly acquired skills, and key insights from the “Knowledge Co-Creation Program – Capacity Development on Provision of Mentoring Services,” which was held in Japan. Their presentations highlighted the value of international knowledge exchange and its contribution to strengthening mentoring practices in Serbia.

At the conclusion of the event, Ana Žegarac presented updated mentoring materials planned to be used from 2026. She also presented criteria and requirements for the renewal of certificates for mentors certified between 2008 and 2020, emphasizing the importance of maintaining high quality and professional standards within the national mentoring network.