Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Branislav Nedimovic said that the forum was attended by representatives of the strongest investment funds from Bahrain and our companies
Entrepreneurs of the two sides see room for expanding cooperation in the agri-food industry, logistics sector, IT sector and telecommunications.
This was said today at the business forum Serbia-Bahrain, which was organized within the two-day visit of the Bahraini delegation to Serbia, and at which 20 Serbian companies presented their business and potentials for cooperation with that country.
The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, Branislav Nedimovic, said that the forum was attended by representatives of the strongest investment funds from Bahrain and our companies, and that the goal of the forum was to start new business.
He adds that cooperation with Bahrain is possible in the field of defense industry, hotel industry and agribusiness, and that our companies in the field of agribusiness, IT sector and logistics sector are present at today’s forum.
– The logistics sector is very important, due to the distance between Serbia and Bahrain, and if we want to export there, we must be logistically well connected – Nedimovic told reporters.
He pointed out that our products from Serbia need 10-12 days to reach the port, and added that Bahrain has made all its ports available to Serbia.
– If we could connect with China, India and the UAE, I see no reason why we could not connect with Bahrain as well – said Nedimovic.
Specifically, he says, businessmen from Bahrain are interested in berries, beef and lamb, but also in all vegetable crops.
The Minister reminds that Bahrain satisfies only 25% of its food needs on its territory, and that it must import everything else.
If everything goes according to plan, Nedimovic says that the export of our products to Bahrain is possible next month.
Mihailo Vesovic, Director of the Sector for Strategic Analysis, Services and Internationalization of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, points out that a completely new market is opening for Serbian businessmen.
– Representatives of the investment fund from Bahrain are present today, which has over 10 billion dollars in capital for investing in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East – said Vesovic.
He added that Bahrain wants to build strong logistics centers around the world and that this is an important area for cooperation with businessmen from Serbia.
He pointed out that Serbia mostly imports aluminum ores from Bahrain, and we export tires for vehicles and partly apples and drinks.
The business experience on the Bahrain market was presented by the company “VodaVoda”, whose product of the same name is already positioned on that market, and as a premium product it has become the official drink of the Bahrain court.
The creator and founder of the VodaVoda and Gorki list brands, Vojin Djordjevic, said that VodaVoda, as one of the highest quality artesian waters in the world, is exported to as many as 15 countries.
– This is proof that there are places for quality products from Serbia not only in Bahrain, but also in all developed markets of the world. We want to use our example to promote exports as a possible and efficient solution for achieving additional stability and diversification of commercial risks, especially during the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic that we are witnessing – says Djordjevic.
The total trade between Serbia and Bahrain in 2020 amounted to 40.7 million dollars.
Last year, we mostly exported car tires, apples, mineral water, electrical machinery and equipment, pasta to Bahrain.
We imported mostly raw aluminum, various military goods, fabrics and more, Srbija Danas reports.
