Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management Milos Milovanovic said today that in a time of increasing globalisation, with markets opening to all traders in the world, Serbia can make progress only if it offers quality products.

Opening the second international Culinaria Fine Food exposition, Milovanovic stressed that the goal of this exposition is to present domestic and regional food and beverages producers in order to attract large global companies and thus get a chance to sell products throughout the world and boost domestic export.

US Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick stressed that Culinaria Fine Food exposition now includes exhibitors from the region whose products will be checked by over 50 traders, as well as by consumers in retail stores and supermarkets all over the world.

Warlick recalled that the US government through the USAID Agribusiness Project in the last four years provided financial assistance to Serbian producers to increase their export sales and to position themselves in the international market.

She added that 129 Serbian companies attended 27 agricultural fairs where contracts worth $130 million were agreed on.

German Ambassador Wolfram Maas expressed confidence that the efforts and activities of the German government to promote and develop the food processing industry of Serbia will pay off in the near future.

The fair is being organised by the company Zizgin, supported by USAID, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management.

The second Culinaria Fine Food, an international trade show of fine food and drinks, will be held in Belgrade's Belexpocenter on Septebmer 28-30, the organizers of the event said Friday.

The three-day event will host over 100 exhibitors, top producers of food and beverages from the region, and is expected to be visited by a large number of professional buyers.

The aim of the trade show is to present domestic and regional food and drinks producers in a way that will attract the world's largest trading companies and thus help the producers get a chance to distribute their products around the world and augment domestic exports.

Culinaria Fine Food is organized by the Zizgin company and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Agribusiness Project, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management.

The event will be opened by Ambassadors to Serbia from the U.S. and Germany, Mary Warlick and Wolfram Maas, respectively, as well as by PKS President Milos Bugarin.

Just like last year, all proceeds from the event's ticket sales will be donated to charity. This year, the funds are intended for Belgrade's Drop-In Center for Street Involved Children.

Milovanovic to open Culinaria Fine Food expo

Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management Milos Milovanovic will open the second international Culinaria Fine Food exposition on 28 September at 11.00, at the Belexpocentar in New Belgrade, Spanskih Boraca 74a.

US Ambassador to Serbia Mary Warlick, German Ambassador Wolfram Maas and Vice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Slobodan Samardzic will attend the opening.