-Cooperation for the organization of business forums in order to attract investments from Serbia was agreed
Milica Marković, Director of the FIPA Agency, had
a meeting with HE Ambassador of BiH to Serbia mr Aida Smajić to exchange
information on current economic trends and the situation of the economy of
Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as opportunities for cooperation on
additional investments of Serbian companies in BiH.
Director Marković met with the Head of the
Republika Srpska Representation in Belgrade, Mr Mladen Cicović to discuss the
organization of business meetings and the promotion of investment opportunities
and investment projects owned by BiH companies. It was stated that any
cooperation and investments in the Republika Srpska are an encouragement for the
BiH economy. Mr Cicović welcomed the initiative of the Director Marković for
the organization of the meeting and mutual cooperation.
The Republic of Serbia is the third largest
investor in BiH, with the amount of 1.998 million BAM or 1.022 million EUR
until December 2019. The largest investment from Serbia was the purchase of
Telecommunications RS ad Banja Luka, as well as investments of Komercijalna
banka ad Belgrade, Oil Industry of Serbia, Hemofarm ad Vršac, Swissliona
Takovo, Imlek ad, and the company Galames Belgrade and many other investments in
the energy sector, food production, IT, tourism, metal processing and textile
sector.
Despite the fact that over 700 companies with
capital from the Republic of Serbia operate in BiH, it was stated that there is
interest in investment opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For that
reason, Director Markovic initiated and proposed a joint organization of
business meetings of project owners and companies from BiH and companies from
Serbia.
FIPA has a database with more than 400 projects
of domestic companies, local communities and entities.
Mr Cicović believes that special focus should
be placed on Serbian companies exporting to BiH and that they should
open production facilities in Republika Srpska.