The Assistant Director of the Sector for Strategic Analyses, Services, and Internationalization at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Bojan Stanić, stated that Serbia’s macroeconomic framework remains stable, and exports are holding steady, though their potential is limited due to stagnation in the European Union — Serbia’s main export market.
“It’s important to note that the future use of Serbia’s free trade agreements will largely depend on geopolitical developments. Trade with Russia continues to decline, while Serbia has made significant progress in diversifying its energy supply sources, achieving complete diversification in oil imports,” Stanić said ahead of the second annual conference ‘International Economic Position of Serbia – MEPS 2025: Challenges and Opportunities in the Current Geopolitical and Trade Reality.’
He pointed out that a key challenge is how to increase economic growth rates, which, according to IMF estimates, have been halved from the expected 4.2% to 2.1% in 2025. “We aim to keep growth above two percent, but much will depend on global energy market conditions,” he added.
Stanić emphasized that external factors have a stronger influence on Serbia’s economy than internal ones, noting that the 50% drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) is not unique to Serbia but is affecting the entire region. “Of course, the domestic political situation also plays a role — protests, blockades, and delays in forming the new government have impacted investor sentiment. However, external developments remain the main factor,” he explained.
Asked about the impact of the minimum wage increase on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Stanić said that improving living standards is necessary to strengthen purchasing power, though entrepreneurs are also struggling with rising energy prices, higher electricity costs, and increased rental expenses.
Jelena Vasić, Head of the Center for Strategic Analyses, Analytics, Planning, and Publications at the Chamber, noted that Serbia has around 17,000 exporting businesses and approximately 136,000 registered companies, but that only one percent of entrepreneurs engage in exports.
“We need to talk more about ways to increase exports because that directly contributes to higher living standards and sustainable business growth,” Vasić said, adding that discussions at the conference will also focus on skills and workforce needs to support export competitiveness.
She highlighted the Chamber’s digital exporter catalogue, international cooperation platforms, and e-services, encouraging companies to register in the online database.
The conference at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce brought together representatives from state institutions, academia, and the private sector to examine Serbia’s position in global economic flows. Panel participants include representatives of the European Commission, MIND Group, Erste Bank, and Neoplanta.
The goal of the conference is to open dialogue on Serbia’s economic positioning amid shifting geopolitical and trade dynamics.
