Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said today that the arrival of the Delhaize Group to the Serbian market heralds success in 2011 in terms of investments in Serbia.

Cvetkovic told the Tanjug news agency that the arrival of the Delhaize Group, which purchased 100% of shares of the Delta Maxi retail chain, means there will be more such large investments in Serbia and that the country will achieve the projected annual investment level of $3 billion.

The direct investment of the Belgian Delhaize of almost €1 billion is one of the largest inflows in the past several years, the Prime Minister stressed, noting that Serbia needs such investments.

He voiced his expectation that the arrival of the Belgian company will boost competitiveness among retail chains, thus securing better service to consumers and lower prices.

The Delhaize Group, an international retail chain from Belgium, announced today that agreement was reached on the purchase of 100% of the Delta Maxi Group, which owns around 450 stores in five southeast European countries. The purchasing price was €932.5 million.