SECOND GREECE-SERBIA BUSINESS COUNCIL MEETING

Belgrade, 23 November 2006 – HRH Crown Prince Alexander II held a welcome speech at the 2nd Greece-Serbia Business Council Meeting at Belgrade’s Hyatt Hotel. The Meeting is organized by the Centre for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance, and it is sponsored by the Hellenic Agency for International Development Cooperation – Hellenic Aid of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The topic of this two day Meeting is “Trade Relations and Economic Development Cooperation between Greece and Serbia: Challenges and Potential for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises”.

Topics for debate will, among others, include bilateral trade relations between Greece and Serbia: the importance of small and medium sized enterprises, Serbia’s EU dynamics: context, challenges and perspectives, and the planned, phased construction of a European-network road to link the northern port city of Thessalonica to Salzburg in Austria.

In his speech, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II emphasized the importance of Greek investments in Serbia, thanking the Greek entrepreneurs for trusting Serbian market. He also stressed that EBRD named Serbia a leading reformer among 27 countries and expressed belief that 2007 is going to be even better for Serbia.

H.E. Milan Parivodić, Minister of Foreign Economic Relations and Finance of Serbia also addressed the participants. He announced new reforms that will make the foreign investment procedures even easier and stressed that Greece is the largest investor in Serbian economy.

Mr. Simeon Tsomokos, president of the Greek chapter of the Business Council and Mr. Zoran Netković, vice-president of the Serbian chapter of the Business Council, who thanked the participants for coming and opened the floor for discussion about possibilities of further cooperation and development.

On Friday, November 24, HRH Crown Prince Alexander II and HRH Crown Princess Katherine will receive the participants of this Meeting at a working breakfast at The White Palace.

The first meeting of this Business Council was held earlier this year in April, in Athens. The Meeting counted with the presence of H.E. Predrag Bubalo, Serbian Minister of Economy.