Sir Paul Judge, Chairman of the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (BSCC), was in Belgrade on an official visit, accompanied by a group from the organisation’s board of directors. Amongst others, Sir Paul’s party will be meeting: Rasim Ljajić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications; Nenad Borovčanin, Deputy Mayor of Stari Grad; Zoran Petrović, board member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; and industry sector groups at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.
Following a breakfast meeting this morning with the British Ambassador, HE Dennis Keefe, Sir Paul said:
“The timing of this visit is very important. After the United Kingdom’s vote earlier this year to leave the European Union, we are keen to spread the message that this does not mean that Britain is retreating into economic isolationism. On the contrary, we are committed to maintaining and developing trading relationships not just with EU countries, but also across the entire globe. A large part of the mission of the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce is to ensure that the trading relationship of the United Kingdom and Serbia continues to flourish in this new diplomatic and economic reality”.
Friday’s itinerary ends with a reception at Belgrade’s recently opened City Savoy Hotel, which will be hosting the largest grouping of members and friends of the BSCC thus far assembled. Tahir Hasanović, Deputy Chairman of BSCC, who is hosting the reception at the recently opened Hotel City Savoy, said:
“We are delighted at the upturn in membership that the BSCC has seen in 2016. Now with around a hundred members, the Chamber is delighted to welcome recent new arrivals such as AstraZeneca, British Motors, Karanović & Nikolić, and MACE, with whom we anticipate a long and fruitful collaboration.”
As well as working with British companies in Serbia, the BSCC also promotes Serbian business interests in the United Kingdom. Jadranka Dervišević-Kitarić, one of the directors visiting from London said:
“In the United Kingdom, we are experiencing an increased interest in Serbian products and are helping more and more companies to enter the British market. In the first part of 2017 we will be organising a promotion of Serbian designers at London Fashion Week and also a trade mission of Serbian companies to the North and Midlands of England”.
The party remained in Belgrade until Monday 19 December.
