New roads, railways, science centers, stadiums... Vučić: EXPO is the construction of the entire country

"We want cooperation with British companies, closer relations with the UK in every respect. It is the 6th economic power in the world, a tremendously important partner for us," Vučić said during his address.

"When we had to solve the financing of the Moravian Corridor, we agreed the fastest with the financial sector of the UK. I don't know if they are the cheapest, but they are the most efficient and I advise everyone to work with them," he added.

"It's just up to us if we want to wise up and not be complacent, but we have to work together with our neighbors because we are too small. Then we will have more opportunities on the British market and attract investments from the UK," said Vučić.

He said that the EXPO is the change of the face of Serbia, the construction of the whole country.

"When we talk about EXPO, it's not just construction on one construction site, but the entire country. These are new roads, railways, scientific centers, stadiums, infrastructure... These are changes in every sphere of social life in order to achieve the desired result," he said.

"Our debt is not too big and will not exceed 50% of GDP at any moment, which is more than twice as low as in the EU and the UK. Serbia's public finances are in an extremely good condition. We also expect Fitch Ratings to increase next year by one degree in order to get an investment rating from it", added Vučić.

He pointed out that the trade exchange with the UK amounted to 2.1 billion euros at the level of the entire region.

About the conference

TANJUG/ SAVA RADOVANOVIĆ/ bg

The organizers of the conference are the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Belgrade, the Ministry of Economy and Trade of the United Kingdom and the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

The participants of the conference will be addressed by Marko Čadež, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Edward Ferguson, ambassador of the United Kingdom in Serbia and Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia.

The goal of the conference, as announced by PKS, is to gather key economic decision-makers, identify business opportunities and start discussions with prominent business partners in strategic sectors. The regional conference will provide an opportunity for representatives of six Western Balkan chambers of commerce, gathered in the Chamber Investment Forum, to present the common potential of the region to the economic delegation of the United Kingdom.

The conference will also provide insight into sectors of importance, such as IT, infrastructure, green energy and the food sector. On this occasion, regional experts and participants from the United Kingdom will have the opportunity to discuss their plans, as well as how to adapt to new global challenges.

This approach should encourage dialogue between representatives of different industrial sectors and institutions, giving a clear picture of the current market outlook and future opportunities for cooperation.

In addition to the plenary part of the conference, the organizers will provide members of the UK trade mission with an insight into the Western Balkans through panels and B2B meetings, as well as the opportunity to network with regional representatives and government officials.