EXPO-RUSSIA-SERBIA opens in Belgrade!

The exhibition, which will close on March 6, was opened by Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, who also a co-chairman of the committee on trade, economic and scientific cooperation between Serbia and Russia, while Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin read a letter from Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

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The two countries' foreign ministers called for further strengthening of the good bilateral economic relations, stressing that there was potential for cooperation in construction, agriculture, energy, tourism, healthcare, transport and infrastructure.

Trade and economic relations between Serbia and Russia are constantly improving, but there is potential for an even more dynamic growth, Dacic pointed out.

The total trade between the two countries stood at EUR 2.5 billion in 2014, which was an increase of EUR 300 million compared to 2013, the Serbian official stated.

According to Russian data, that trade was at USD 3.1 billion, but the increase was significant, regardless of whose methodology is used, he remarked.

"The Russian Federation is one of Serbia's top three trade partners, along with Italy and Germany," he said.

He expects investments, export and potential usage to grow, especially in tourism and the automotive industry, he noted.

Lavrov wrote in his letter that he believed the exhibition would be a useful platform for future cooperation between Serbian and Russian companies, stressing that the two countries' relations were moving in a positive direction.

That trend was particularly helped by Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Serbia in October last year, Lavrov said.

Head of the sector for industry and agriculture of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Jesa Ercic thanked the Russian partners for supporting the initiative and recognising the economic potential for cooperation and new business contacts.

More than 100 companies from 15 regions in Russia are participating in the exhibition, along with officials from 8 Russian state colleges and a large number of companies from Serbia and other countries of the region.

OAD Zarubej Expo is the organiser of the exhibition, while the International Association of World Funds and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce are co-organisers, with support from the Council of the Russian Federation, State Duma, ministries of foreign affairs, industry, economic development, agriculture, healthcare, the Serbian ministry, Russian Trade Office in Serbia, Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, both countries' embassies and the Russian centre for science and culture in Serbia.

(Telegraf.rs / Tanjug)