03.11.2022.
Meeting with Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism
The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, met today with the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, María Reyes Maroto Illera, who led the delegation comprising representatives of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Association of Spanish Businessmen and numerous companies.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Miloš Vučević and Assistant Minister of Defence for Material Resources Nenad Miloradović, PhD, also attended the meeting.The interlocutors agreed that the exchange of goods, which formed a basis for economic cooperation between Serbia and Spain, was characterized by constant growth in both imports and exports, and that in the first eight months of 2022, it had already reached the value of last year’s record exchange, amounting to 811 million euros.
According to President Vučić, this year, for the first time in the last five years, there is a trade surplus on the Serbian side. Also, the sale of Serbian goods on the Spanish market has doubled over the last five years, thanks largely to increased export of copper ore and concentrate.
The participants in the meeting agreed that there was a mutual interest in promoting greater economic cooperation. In this regard, President Vučić mentioned the domestic furniture industry and agri-food industry as areas with great potential for exports to Spain. He also said that Spain could become an economic link between Serbia and Latin American countries, particularly in the area of construction industry.
The Spanish businessmen have shown interest in opening textile and clothing factories in Serbia. They also wish to continue investing in renewable energy sources, and they view transport infrastructure, energy industry, environmental protection, agriculture and tourism as prospective areas of future cooperation, with an emphasis on greater promotion of Serbia's tourist destinations on the Spanish market.