U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade Mary Warlick said that her country had backed 180 companies in southern Serbia through USAID's programs for economic assistance.

After touring the Minex plant in Vranje, Warlick said the overall economic growth in the said companies was 57 % in the 2007-2010 period.

The companies' success, Warlick said, came from assistance to present their products on foreign markets too. In an effort to acquaint themselves with the economic potential of southern Serbia, the ambassadors of several countries visited the Minex footwear factory in Vranje, whose volume of production doubled after it received USAID assistance.

The diplomats, aside from Warlick, were OSCE Ambassador Dimitrios Kypreos, Australian Ambassador Helena Gay Studdert, Bulgarian Ambassador Georgi Dimitrov and Albanian Ambassador Shpetim Caushi.