Đurić presented the economic potentials of Serbia to the Dutch business community

Recognizing that the international community may be unaware of Serbia’s economic progress, Đurić highlighted that Serbia’s GDP has doubled over the past decade and that the country attracts about 63% of the total foreign direct investments in the Western Balkans region.

Minister Đurić emphasized that Serbia is unique in having access to the European market, where it conducts most of its trade, while also maintaining free trade agreements with China, Egypt, the UAE, and several other nations.

He also noted that Serbia enjoys strong political and economic relations with countries in South America and Africa and has established a strategic dialogue with the United States.

According to Đurić, the EU remains Serbia's most significant trading partner and the largest source of foreign direct investments, with Serbia being the EU's leading trading partner in the Western Balkans.

The head of Serbian diplomacy underscored that EU membership is a strategic goal for Serbia, and by the end of 2026, all necessary political, legislative, and institutional reforms for membership will be completed.

Despite being a small country, Serbia is highly open to economic investments and business cooperation, Đurić emphasized, adding that despite global events and crises, our country has managed to maintain consistent and stable economic growth.

The momentum of the Serbian economy is also evidenced by the increasing demand for labor, with approximately 79,000 work visas issued last year, significantly facilitating access to the labor market.

He added that Serbia is heavily investing in the IT sector, with exports from this sector having increased nearly eightfold in recent years.

The head of Serbian diplomacy explained that the IT sector is the "flagship" of Serbia's service exports globally, noting that we have become a development center for many leading global high-tech companies. According to his words, Serbia is firmly resolved to become a regional leader in using innovative technologies and a new European hub for research and development.

Đurić stated that major global companies, like Microsoft, are opening their regional centers in Serbia, and our country is investing significant funds in research centers.

Speaking about the upcoming Special Expo 2027, Đurić mentioned that it is an exceptionally fantastic opportunity to present the real image of Serbia, and therefore the government has allocated about seventeen billion euros for the realization of this massive endeavor.

Đurić concluded that Serbia finished the year 2024 as the second fastest-growing economy in Europe, with the ambition to lead in growth rate this year, adding that we are the most dynamic and largest economy in the Western Balkans and a kind of engine of regional development, accounting for half of the region's GDP and achieving just over two-thirds of our region's total merchandise exports to the world.

Among others, representatives from companies such as Ballast Nedam, ING, Ahold Delhaize, RVO, Philips, Levi9, and Ecorys attended the meeting.