Cooperation agreement signed between the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism and the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce: a step towards improving the economic climate in Vojvodina.
Novi Sad, September 29, 2022 – The signing of the cooperation agreement between the Provincial Secretariat for Economy and Tourism and the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Business Association, respectively represented by the Provincial Secretary Dr. Nenad Ivanišević, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Chamber, Annino De Venezia, was held today in the Provincial Council.
This Memorandum establishes framework mechanisms for closer cooperation between the Chamber and the Secretariat, guided by common visions and goals, with the goal of more effective action to improve conditions and foster a prosperous business climate in Vojvodina.
Mutual information and exchange of relevant knowledge and information on market trends and indicators of economic cooperation between Vojvodina and Italy are part of the joint activities for the implementation of this agreement, taking into account the great potential that lies in the cooperation between Italian and Vojvodina businesses.
Secretary Ivanišević stressed that there is traditional cooperation between the two countries and that today’s signing of the memorandum is another step towards deepening good relations between the regions as well.
“The cooperation involves almost 70 existing Italian companies in Vojvodina, but we want to go further. There is a willingness to showcase the potential of Italian companies in Vojvodina, at events, as well as to bring the best of Vojvodina to future fairs in Italy in order to connect our economic actors. The latter is the main goal and that is what we wish to achieve through this agreement. Most of the Italian companies in the region are medium and large sized, so our desire is to connect Serbian and Italian companies to seek common aspects of cooperation. Our goal is to create jobs for as many people as possible,” Ivanišević said, adding that investments of Italian companies in the field of tourism are also important: one way to achieve this is to present the tourism potential of AP Vojvodina to the Italian market where this sector is already developed.
The provincial secretary also initiated the promotion of joint cooperation at upcoming fairs where the Secretariat has its exhibition and official spaces, starting with the International Tourism Fair and the Agriculture Fair in the first half of next year.
In the coming days, the Secretariat and the Chamber will work intensively on the organization of joint events with the aim of improving cooperation and public information, as well as the organization of meetings and trainings of experts and on the implementation of initiatives.
Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors Annino De Venezia stressed that Italy is among the top three foreign partners by value of investments in Serbia and that Italian companies continue to show great interest in a direct presence in the Serbian market, which over the decades has reached the number of more than a thousand companies with the participation of Italian capital, making a significant contribution to Serbia’s social and economic development.
“I believe it is necessary to continue working on the further development of bilateral relations, considering that Serbia’s potential is really significant and we still have room for joint projects. The Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, with about 145 member companies employing more than 22,000 employees, is one of the largest foreign Chambers of Commerce in the country, and we are a constant point of reference for Serbian and Italian entrepreneurs interested in starting joint activities on the Serbian and foreign markets,” De Venezia said.