Business
Serbia: Italian businesses look at trade and investment
Belgrade, 24 Sept. (AKI) – An Italian trade delegation has arrived in Serbia on a two-day visit to explore bilateral trade and investment. Around 100 entrepreneurs and investors arrived in the capital Belgrade on Thursday to discuss potential opportunities with Serbian partners .
Italy's deputy minister for economic development, Adolfo Urso, said that trade between the two countries had doubled in the past three years and topped three billion dollars last year.
Urso said that that cooperation could be expanded between the two countries in many fields, especially investment between Italian companies.
“Because of its geographic position and the free trade agreement with the countries of the former Soviet Union, Serbia is very suitable for investment by Italian businessmen,” Urso said.
Serbian economy minister Mladjan Dinkic said Italy was Serbia’s third trading partner and its fifth largest foreign investor.
Last year the Italian carmaker, Fiat, started a joint venture to produce vehicles with the Serbian carmaker, Zastava, and cooperation will be expanded next year, he said.
Dinkic said that they will produce a new vehicle and that the Italian partner was investing 800 million euros in the project.
Italian investment in Serbia is worth one billion euros, but the figure is expected to double next year, Dinkic added.
He said that some 200 Italian companies are currently doing business in Serbia, employing 18,000 workers with an annual turnover of 2.5 billion euros.
Dinkic told Italian business representatives they could take advantage of the four duty free zones in Serbia which offer favourable opportunities to foreign companies.
Another three duty free zones are in the process of being opened, he added.
Serbian partners emphasised the advantage of shipping duty-free exports to the vast Russian market and those of the former Soviet Union countries, because of special trade agreements with Serbia.
Italy's deputy minister for economic development, Adolfo Urso, said that trade between the two countries had doubled in the past three years and topped three billion dollars last year.
Urso said that that cooperation could be expanded between the two countries in many fields, especially investment between Italian companies.
“Because of its geographic position and the free trade agreement with the countries of the former Soviet Union, Serbia is very suitable for investment by Italian businessmen,” Urso said.
Serbian economy minister Mladjan Dinkic said Italy was Serbia’s third trading partner and its fifth largest foreign investor.
Last year the Italian carmaker, Fiat, started a joint venture to produce vehicles with the Serbian carmaker, Zastava, and cooperation will be expanded next year, he said.
Dinkic said that they will produce a new vehicle and that the Italian partner was investing 800 million euros in the project.
Italian investment in Serbia is worth one billion euros, but the figure is expected to double next year, Dinkic added.
He said that some 200 Italian companies are currently doing business in Serbia, employing 18,000 workers with an annual turnover of 2.5 billion euros.
Dinkic told Italian business representatives they could take advantage of the four duty free zones in Serbia which offer favourable opportunities to foreign companies.
Another three duty free zones are in the process of being opened, he added.
Serbian partners emphasised the advantage of shipping duty-free exports to the vast Russian market and those of the former Soviet Union countries, because of special trade agreements with Serbia.
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