CADEZ: We expect increased export to Greece

Greece is among the largest investors in Serbia, but not all potentials for economic cooperation between the two countries have been used, it was said yesterday at the business forum of Serbia and Greece at the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.

President of the CCIS, Marko Cadez, said that Greece was among the 10 largest investors in Serbia and that its investments, mostly in banking, tourism, infrastructure, construction, telecommunications and energy, had exceeded EUR 2.5 billion.

He said that the total annual merchandise trade of Serbia and Greece in the previous ten years had amounted to EUR 260 to 390 million, around three times less than what Serbia realized with other countries in the region. Serbia imports more than it exports to Greece daily, and the expectations are, as Cadez pointed out, that Greek businessmen will be more interested in both raw materials and finished products from Serbia, which will bring balance to the trade between the two countries.

Vice president of the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce, Panayiotis Papadopoulos, said that the increase in the number of Serbia tourists in Greece was an indicator of the possibilities of improving the economic cooperation between the two countries.

He added that projects of establishing stronger bonds between Serbia and Greece in the area of road and railway transport were being worked on.

Giorgos Katrougalos, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the Greek Government had implemented numerous measures in order to strengthen the economy and that Serbian companies should learn about it in order for the cooperation to be as successful as possible. Katrougalos pointed out that the visit to Belgrade was an opportunity to strengthen the bonds between the two countries and added that there was a place for Greek products and services in the Serbian market.

State secretary at the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia, Stevan Nikcevic, pointed out that 80 Greek and mixed companies, employing around 25,000 workers, operated in Serbia and that there were turning into serious competition to other companies.

The Serbia-Greece business forum was attended by representatives of more than 40 Greek and 100 Serbian companies from the sectors of food, energy, environmental protection and construction materials.

The protocol of cooperation between the CCIS and the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce was signed as part of the gathering.

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministarstvo turizma i omladine Republike Srbije

CCIS

trade between Serbia and Greece

Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce

Panayiotis Papadopoulos

Stevan Nikcevic

Giorgos Katrougalos

economic cooperation between Serbia and Greece