Serbia is Germany's most important partner in the Western Balkans – Foreign trade between the two countries to exceed EUR 5 billion

Serbia is Germany's most important partner in the Western Balkans. The foreign trade of Germany and the Western Balkans amounted to EUR 11.25 billion in 2018, of which the trade with Serbia accounts for as much as EUR 4.7 billion.

German companies currently employ around 90,000 people in the Western Balkans, and, in Serbia, 60,000 jobs in 400 companies are secured through German investments, it was said at the “Western Balkans and German Economy” conference, held in Belgrade. The topics at the conference were investments, supply initiatives and mobility.

The president of the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia), Ronald Seeliger, pointed out at the conference that German companies in Serbia had long-term plans and that their investments in the country had increased in quality. He pointed out that the foreign trade would exceed EUR 5 billion in 2019 and that Germany believed in the region.

– German companies which operate in Serbia feature high technologies which cannot be simply moved, and certain German companies are only just planning to start operating in Serbia. I believe that this shows a readiness to invest and an interest of Germany in Serbia – Seeliger said.

He also noted that the supply initiatives were an integral part of global trade and that Serbia also participated in this exchange.

– We have 150 suppliers from the Western Balkans which provide services for German companies. A third come from Serbia and a growth is being recorded there. A supplier needs to reach a higher level of quality and keep it while delivering large quantities. Companies in Serbia need to adjust to this – Seeliger said.

AHK Serbia, he adds, helps with this through talks and training courses, and German companies which operate in Serbia are a part of that line of suppliers.

– I believe that that line of suppliers is very solid and resilient. We also rely on mobility, which is an integral part of global trade. It's normal for workforce to go to other countries in this day and age. I'm German and I work in Serbia – Seeliger said.

Helge Tolksdorf, the head of the Department for Southeast Europe, EU Enlargement and Turkey at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, said that Germany stood by the Western Balkans. He reminded that the German government's position since 2003 had been that the Western Balkans should be a part of the European Union and that it would remain dedicated to the region.

The minister without a portfolio in charge of demography and population policy in the Government of Serbia, Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, talked about the problems of migrations in Serbia. She pointed out that it was necessary for everyone to “create an environment that would stimulate people to stay or come to Serbia”.

She looked back on the results of the latest population survey, held in 2011, according to which, around 150,000 citizens of Serbia, of an average age of 28.7, had left the country between 2002 and 2011.

– According to a survey carried out by the Cabinet in cooperation with the Statistical Office of Serbia and the Ministry of Education, regarding the migrations, the conclusion is that the circumstances which force young people to leave need to change. This can only be done by creating a favorable environment, where people use the knowledge they've acquired to have a successful professional career, where people have adequate conditions for research activities, and above all, where people are able to earn a living doing their job – said Djukic Dejanovic.

She added that, at the moment, 76% of the subjects claimed that they didn't plan to return to Serbia, but that it was encouraging that a half of the subjects were ready to invest in Serbia.

The organizer of the conference is the German-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Serbia), under the sponsorship of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany, in cooperation with the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (OA) and the German Association for Southeast Europe.

S. Petrovic

AHK Srbija

Kabinet ministra bez portfelja zaduženog za demografiju i populacionu politiku

German Serbian Chamber of Commerce

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany

German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations OA

German Association for Southeast Europe

Ronald Seeliger

Helge Tolksdorf

Slavica Djukic Dejanovic

Western Balkans and German Economy conference

German investments in Serbia

foreign trade between Serbia and Germany

German companies in Serbia