Serbia is one of the most important economic partners of Macedonia, our two economies are complementary, the President of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov said Friday.
He called on Serbian businessmen to make use of advantages of Macedonian economy and realize their business in his country. Ivanov said at the Serbian-Macedonian business forum that Serbian brands have a high reputation among Macedonian citizens and vice versa, emphasizing that since 2010, foreign trade between the two countries has been on the rise.
He underlined the significance of regional economic cooperation, especially in times of crisis, stressing that the process of improving cooperation and joint ventures at third markets would help find a way out of recession. Ivanov emphasized that support should be given to improvement of infrastructure, primarily the construction of Corridor 10, pipelines and power plants.
Ivanov also stressed the benefits of CEFTA agreement and added that Macedonia directs all its resources to economic development. He said that Macedonia has a stable exchange rate, low annual inflation of two percent and low level of public debt below 26 percent of GDP.
It also implements reforms of administration, agriculture and education sectors, and increases investments in energy and infrastructure, he said. Nearly 60 businessmen from Serbia and 40 from Macedonia are participating in the economic forum.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said on Friday that without economic development, there was no valid political strategy and no European future whatsoever, adding that any investment in infrastructure was a prerequisite for overcoming the crisis and attracting new investment.
Taking part in a Serbia-Macedonia business forum in Skopje, Tadic said that the new wave of crisis would not bypass Serbia and Macedonia and that the citizens should be told openly that tough years were ahead.
The president of Serbia, however, pointed out that to overcome the crisis, two measures were particularly important – market expansion and enhancing operation of the internal market.
“Technological renovation and reindustrialization are basically opportunities to raise the citizens’ standard of living and ensure a safer political and economic situation. To achieve this, it is necessary to improve regional cooperation between all segments of society, not just among businessmen,” he said.
Tadic said that investment in infrastructure was of great importance and that Serbia had made great efforts in this field, just like Macedonia. He expressed the expectation that part of the highway from the southern Serbian city of Leskovac to the Macedonian border should be completed by 2014, although it had been planned to be completed by the end of the current year.
Tadic stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries in the field of metallurgy, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. Pointing to the fact that the production of a new Fiat car should start in Serbia in spring the following year, Tadic said that his country believed that the automotive industry cluster should develop in a complementary manner and that Serbia had plans to bring more car manufacturers to the region.
Noting that the works on the Serbian side of the power transmission line from the city of Nis in southern Serbia to Skopje have been completed, Tadic pointed to the importance of cooperation in the field of gas and electric power industry.
Tadic said that forums like the one held in Skopje, where he had participated together with his Macedonian colleague Djordje Ivanov and presidents of chambers of commerce of the two countries, should enhance economic cooperation and contribute to financial success, profit, renewal of technology and reindustrialization.
Source emg.rs
