Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic stated that the creation of a joint investment market is the principal task of Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) members.

Opening CEFTA Week 2010, Dinkic observed that the poor image of countries in the region is one of the main obstacles to the arrival of investors, noting that all countries should make an effort to improve mutual cooperation and standardise regulations in order to create a predictable market.

He underlined that in the period January–September 2010 Serbia garnered a surplus of €1 billion in the trade with CEFTA countries, adding that this figure should reach €1.3 billion by the end of the year.

The main issue in our trade with countries in the region is the fact that the market offers products with a low processing degree, such as agricultural products and raw materials, Dinkic emphasised.

Only by producing items of high value and attracting multinational companies can Serbia achieve its goal – a trade surplus with the world, and not only the region, Dinkic remarked.

The Deputy Prime Minister announced that Serbia plans to make products with a higher processing degree in the car industry, information technology and electronics.

CEFTA Week 2010 will last three days during which there will be workshops, seminars and discussions for representatives of state organs, businesspeople, diplomatic representatives, international organisations and the academic public.

It will focus on the priorities of Serbia’s CEFTA presidency which include trade in services, protection of competition, public procurement, investment and the removal of non-customs barriers in trade.

The CEFTA agreement was signed by Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and UNMIK in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

It was enforced on 26 July 2007, and has been implemented in Serbia since 24 October 2007.