The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said today in Ruma after the ceremonial opening of the new highway in full profile from Ruma to Šabac, with a length of 24.6 kilometers, that the inflow of foreign direct investments (FDI) as of the end of the first decade of October amounts to 3 billion and 420 million euros, as well as that the structure of FDI has changed, that there are more Asian investments than in previous years.
“With the first ten days of October, we have 3 billion and 420 million euros of foreign direct investments (FDI), last year there was a record inflow of FDI, which amounted to 4.4 billion euros, and I hope that we will be able to reach that by the end of the year”, Vučić said.
He explained that the structure of FDI has changed, that there are more Asian investments than in previous years, that there is a higher percentage of Asian investments compared to European ones, although European ones are still dominant.
“Things are changing, slowly that wheel is turning more towards Asia, towards China, Japan, South Korea, and I think it is important that our citizens know that”, said Vučić.
He also said that in the future the country will have to rely more on its rivers and that we as a country must do everything necessary to make them more navigable.
“It is the cheapest traffic for us. We will have to orient ourselves and rely more on the rivers so that they are navigable at all times, as well as on certain ports in the region”, said Vučić during the bus ride to the end of the bridge over the Sava.
As he emphasized, river traffic is of crucial importance for us for development, as well as logistics centers and the transshipment of goods from those parts where the river is not navigable to trains, trucks, etc., and that is why we need another logistics center in Batajnica, such as which would be one in Šabac and Sremska Mitrovica that would save us money.
He also emphasized that the state will make every effort to stop the price increase on the domestic market, especially diesel, if there is a further jump in the price of oil and derivatives on the world market.
“Despite the global energy crisis, not a single project has stopped in Serbia”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said today that, despite the global energy crisis, not a single project has stopped in Serbia.
As he says, not only have the projects not stopped, but new ones are also being signed, but we could have done it all faster.
“Gas jumped from 380 to 495 in ten days, and electricity went up from 110 to 144 euros per megawatt. I’m talking about what it costs us when we buy. At the same time, we don’t have market surpluses”, said Vučić.
According to him, the heating plant in Kostolac was supposed to be finished in September or October, and now the question is whether it will be finished by December.
As he says, even if it is connected in January, it will again be a relief for our thermal energy capacities.
“I’m worried about the price of oil and diesel. I’m worried about the sanctions against Russia, which can also affect us. You always wait anxiously for winter, even though you’ve prepared well.
We have 66 days of diesel reserve, which is the essence for us, because 82 percent is diesel consumption – the entire healthcare, army, police. Only 18 percent is gasoline, and we have reserves for 74 days. Gas reserves are 690 million cubic meters. We have never had so much”, said Vučić.
The president also pointed out that the tax that was voted in the Bulgarian parliament created a problem for Serbia, which would dramatically raise the price of gas for our country, which we have to pay, by an additional 100 euros per 1,000 cubic meters of gas. As he says, he and the prime minister, Ana Brnabić, will try to talk to the Bulgarian leadership so that this does not apply to Serbia.
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