Vucic: Serbia-Germany trade at EUR 3.5 billion

Vucic: Serbia-Germany trade at EUR 3.5 billion

Vucic said that Germany is getting closer to becoming Serbia's number one partner, as indicated by many parameters.

German investments in Serbia total EUR 1.7 billion, with donations amounting to nearly as much - EUR 1.6 billion - for which Serbia is grateful to Germany, Vucic noted.

German companies are welcome in Serbia - not only to assist, but also to make profit, he said.

Serbia could learn much from Germany, Vucic noted, adding that he has asked German partners to help people in Serbia learn how to act differently and how to change themselves.

German Ambassador to Serbia Axel Dittmann said Wednesday that with EUR 1.6 billion in donations given, his country was the biggest bilateral donor in Serbia, and with EUR 1.7 billion invested, it was Serbia's prime trade partner.

Over the last three years, German enterprises in Serbia increased the number of jobs by 5,000, and since 2000, German companies have created the more than 30,000 jobs in Serbia, he said.

The Serbian government has carried out important reforms, and very importantly, it has set out on a journey to joining the EU, Dittmann said. Germany will support Serbia’s efforts to open the chapters related to the rule of law in accession negotiations with the EU as soon as possible, as the legal framework is very important for attracting foreign investors.

Serbia faces numerous reforms, and Germany will provide a steady support just like before, Director General for International Development Policy at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Peter Failer said while opening the first session of the dialogue.

Germany has made large contribution to the European Fund for Southeast Europe, which helped create 90,000 jobs in Serbia, Failer said.

Failer said Germany wanted to create a perspective for Serbia’s future. Since launching the initiative in May, we signed a EUR 38.5 million line of credit agreement to boost development of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in rural parts of the country, said Failer.