BUSINESS BREAKFAST AT THE WHITE PALACE

Belgrade, 16 July 2005 – Being the hosts to many high dignitaries from all over the world, who accepted the invitation to come to Belgrade and heighten the celebration of the 60th birthday of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Their Royal Highnesses organized a business breakfast at The White Palace this morning, at which occasion investment possibilities and economic situation in Serbia and Montenegro were presented.

Our country was presented to the numerous representatives of international business by the Ministry of International Economic Relations, Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Services, and Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA).

His Excellency Dr. Milan Parivodic, Minister of International Economic Relations spoke about the overall economic climate, legal framework and possibilities of investment, and emphasized the situation in Serbia has dramatically changed for the better. He pointed up that several major international companies are already doing business very successfully in Serbia - US Steel, Lafarge, Michelin and Philip Morris, and announced that the Microsoft Corporation is soon opening its training centre in Serbia, the fourth in the whole world.

The Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Services was represented by Mr. Vlajko Senic, the Deputy Minister, and the possibilities of investments in tourism and the rapid growth of the number of tourist in recent years were presented by Miss Milca Cubrilo, the Director of the Tourism Organization of Serbia .

Miss Jasna Matic, the Director of SIEPA, spoke about the increasingly successful promotion of investment possibilities in Serbia and the results of cooperation with top notch international companies like Coca-Cola and Ball Packaging.

Mr. Michael Fedorenko, the General Manager of US Steel Serbia, the largest exporter in Serbia, said a few words about the success and the growth of his company, as well as Mr. Spiros Pirgidis, the General Manager of Del Jug Company, who is the winner of the “Investor of the Year” award, given by OECD.

After breakfast, the distinguished guests visited the Refugee Women’s Handcraft Bazaar organized at The White Palace terrace.