- Member of the Executive Committee, ASCAME
- President, Serbian Chamber of Commerce
“Through its Chambers’ network and cooperation, ASCAME offers many advantages and possibilities to use the complementarity and potential of its member’s country economies.”
In recent one or two years, Serbia has achieved strong reform progress. It has come out of recession, and this was attained in the year of austerity measures and consolidation of public finances, it lowered the risks, and fiscal and trade deficits, increased its GDP based on growth in investments, and upgraded its regulatory framework and business and investment environment. Our ranking has improved in the reports of the World Bank, IMF, European Commission, and on the lists of the rating agencies, and we have opened the first Chapters in the EU accession process. We have created the conditions for even faster development of entrepreneurship, and strengthening of the private sector. Today, our companies are reliable partners to foreign investors and suppliers, and the reformed Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia is strong support to the domestic economy and foreign corporations that chose Serbia as their business and investment destination.
An important instrument in the industrialization of the Serbian economy is the economic integration of the CEFTA region, but also the FTAs that Serbia signed with the Russian Federation, Belorussia and Kazakhstan, EFTA countries and Turkey. The possibility of diagonal cumulation of origin is one of the major benefits of the trade liberalization, not only for the Serbian economy but also for all CEFTA countries.
Additional benefits would be generated by inclusion into the pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation of origin, based on the integration of our country in the system of multilateral agreements based on the Euro-Mediterranean Free Zone under the Barcelona process.
First and foremost, nothing can contribute so efficiently to the cooperation and stability, not only in this region and Europe but also in the whole Mediterranean Region, as economic integrations. The experience of the migrant crisis has shown the importance of the cooperation of all countries on all migration routes. Many challenges we are facing in today’s world are not just ours, but they are shared regionally, sometimes globally, and they require continued communication, open relationship and honest cooperation.
The Serbian economy strives to be present more in the markets of the ASCAME member countries. The friendly relations that we have with the countries in the region are our largest common capital and an excellent basis for improvement of the economic cooperation.
Through its chamber network and cooperation, ASCAME offers many advantages and possibilities to use the complementarity and potentials of its member country economies – from natural resources to modern technologies, innovations, and creativity.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia has been participating in a three-year regional project EUROMED Invest, whose aim is to upgrade private business and economic growth in the Euro-Mediterranean Region.
Within the framework of the project, the Third International EUROMED Invest Academia „Cooperation – Complementarity of the South Mediterranean and the Western Balkans” was held in Belgrade, with the participation of more than 100 participants from 18 countries of the South Mediterranean, the EU, the Western Balkans and Turkey.
This was a good opportunity for the establishment of new business contacts, exchange of experiences and best practices, aimed at strengthening the capacities of the chambers for the support to businesspeople, and improving the cooperation and investments among the countries of the EU, South Mediterranean and Western Balkans.
The experiences, attainment, and expertise of the ASCAME chamber members are very valuable to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and the Serbian economy, and that is why we will strive to be an active member in big events, such as MEDITOUR, Medalogistic Transport, MediTex, MedaCity, but also to promote our activities through the ASCAME network.
We would like Serbia to be the active factor of the Barcelona Process in the strengthening of the political, economic and social partnership and in fostering the cultural cooperation.
06/21/2016