Davos: Fresh investments for Serbia

Davos: Fresh investments for Serbia

“Mr. Hubner expressed hope that reforms in Serbia would speed up, enabling his company to efficiently deal with business problems it encountered, such as relations with EPS and the Tax Administration”, added Đelić hinting on investments by Actavis, Titan Cement and Basic Element Group.

Đelić also revealed there would be additional investments into Zdravlje Leskovac during talks with the owner of this Serbian pharmaceutical company, Thor Bjorgolfsson,

“Actavis has invested two billion dollars into Bulgaria, becoming its largest individual investor, and only 100 million euros in Serbia. This company is also very interested in other branches of our economy”, Đelić wrote.

Đelić held talks with general manager of Titan Cement, which owns the cement factory in Kosjerić, about additional €50 million investments.

“The Managing Director of Basic Element Group, one of the largest companies in Russia, said that her company is willing to invest in the metal processing industry as well as insurance”, Đelić said.

Božidar Đelić has had about fifty bilateral meetings in Davos, where he is attending the World Economic Forum as the only participant from Serbia.

Đelić meets Stiglitz

Božidar Đelić announced that renowned economy expert and Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz has agreed to be the adviser to the new Serbian government for institutional reforms and balanced development.

“We were focused on discussing how to achieve genuine independence of our regulatory bodies, such as the Energy Agency, Telecommunications Agency or the Republic Broadcasting Agency. We had similar views on how to design programs for the revival of agriculture in the poorest parts of our country. Joseph Stiglitz will be a major reinforcement to our potentials for carrying out the reforms”, Đelić pointed out.

Đelić in Davos - Day 2

In his second blog entry at B92 Blog, Božidar Đelić says he will seek to organize Brad Pitt’s visit to Belgrade in the spring.

“I am trying really hard to bring Brad Pitt to Belgrade, to the opening of this year’s Belgrade Design Week. Brad is engaged in serious projects related to architecture and urbanism, the idea is that he presents them, and supports us. It is still uncertain, for media and security reasons, if he ever will arrive here. Regardless of that, I will work on it. It would really be good for our country’s image”.

Meeting with Rehn

”Today’s most important meeting was that with EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn. This extremely intelligent Finn, who has a doctor’s degree in international relations from Oxford, has communicated clear messages related to Serbia’s European future. Europe hopes for a swift formation of a democratic government, that will undertake obligations, especially in the security sector, related to the Hague and the implementation of economic and institutional reforms. Then we will be able to start with the SAA talks and conclude them within four to six months. Kosovo is not a condition for Serbia’s European integrations, but we are expected to approach this difficult issue in a constructive manner”, Đelić writes.

Đelić meets Fisher

“Another meeting today was with governor of the Bank of Israel Dr. Stanley Fisher, one of the most renowned macroeconomist. He was World Bank chief economist, IMF’s number-two, and one of the five leading men in Citibank. He was my macro economy professor at MIT and we worked together on Russian reforms”, Đelić writes.

“Stiglitz yesterday, Fisher today. The two rarely agree, but they are the world elite. I am glad that they show interest in Serbia. No one will ever make up our minds for us, but we do need more ideas and allies in the intellectual realm”.