Podravka Serbia producing frozen fruits and vegetables for Russia – Economic cooperation of the region more important than politics

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the Paris summit as the meeting between the European Union and the Western Balkans. The Chancellor of Germany said that the goal was to aid the convergence of the countries of the region and the EU and to strengthen the stability and the peace in the region. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic plans to have discussions about concrete issues.

Nevertheless, the economy can't wait for the politics. The Serbian ComTrade exports half a million euros worth of software a year from Slovenia, the Croatian Podravka sells 10,000 tons of frozen fruits and vegetables from Serbia to Russia, and Gorenje exports EUR 188 million.

- The economies are cooperating, the untapped potential is much larger in scope than what these talks will be about. We need to understand that we are a part of the region and that our success and development depend on that region. It is only by jointly penetrating other markets that we can persevere – said the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia Marko Cadez.

Economic cooperation and development of the region depend on political stability, and the professor at the Belgrade Banking Academy Ismail Musabegovic points out that the crucial relation in the region is between Serbia and Croatia.

- As soon as Serbia and Croatia establish cooperation at a level that allows for the free flow of goods and services, the capital and people, other countries of former Yugoslavia will adapt – said Musabegovic.

Comtrade

ComTrade Slovenia (HERMES SoftLab)

Podravka d.o.o. Beograd

PODRAVKA d.d. Koprivnica

Gorenje d.o.o. Beograd

Gorenje d.d. Velenje

Privredna komora Srbije

BBA-Beogradska Bankarska Akademija

European Union Western Balkans summit

Aleksandar Vucic

ComTrade

Podravka

export

import

CCIS

Marko Cadez

Ismail Musabegovic