Serbia aims to assume new role between Asia and Europe: Cadez speaks from Beijing to reveal big plans

Photo: PKS/Dragan Kujundzic

President of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia Marko Cadez said on Tuesday in Beijing, where he is taking part in the Belt and Road Trade and Investment Forum, that in times of global tensions, divisions and uncertainty, as well as when supply chains are increasingly exposed to pressure, initiatives like the Belt and Road are more needed than ever.

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Cadez assessed that this year's China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) and the Belt and Road Forum come at an important moment for relations between Serbia and China, immediately after the recent visit of the Serbian president to China, which opened a new chapter in economic relations between the two countries, the Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.

According to this, cooperation between Serbia and China is focused on new technologies, e-mobility, robotics, green energy, advanced production and smart infrastructure, relying on the development priorities of China's 15th five-year plan, and the Development Strategy of Serbia 2030-2035, which coincide in key strategic goals.

"Innovation, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies will be the main guide and ally in building a digital, green and sustainable Belt and Road, as well as new business models based on open cooperation and trust," Cadez said.

Speaking about the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative, Cadez pointed out that it is entering a new phase of development in which partnerships will no longer be only geographical, but also based on technology and innovation.

"Serbia wants to be not only a logistics and production center, but also a technological hub along the Belt and Road, a smart intersection between Asia and Europe, a place where innovation, production and logistics meet," Cadez said.

He reminded that the results of the Belt and Road Initiative for Serbia and other participating countries are already visible through construction of roads and railways, such as the Belgrade-Budapest high-speed railway, implementation of energy and industrial projects, construction of factories, free trade agreements, new business opportunities and job creation.

On the second day of the 4th China International Supply Chain Fair (CISCE), representatives of the Serbian delegation led by Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade Jagoda Lazarevic met with representatives of China's OIG Group (Youhe Group), one of the largest in China specializing in import of frozen food products.

Lazarevic said that the Chinese are interested in importing frozen fruit from Serbia, especially berries, as well as of meat, especially poultry, which represents a concrete step in implementing the protocol for export of poultry from our country, which was signed during the visit of the president of Serbia to China in May.

(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug)