PARTNERS: ITALY & SERBIA
ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN ITALY AND SERBIA
STRONG PRESENCE, Stronger Prospects
Italy and Serbia have been historically linked through excellent bilateral political and economic relations. The two Countries celebrated two important anniversaries in 2019: 140 years of diplomatic relations between Rome and Belgrade; and 10 years of their strategic partnership
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uring the same year, Italy was again Serbia’s second largest trading partner, with a total trade exchange of 3.84 billion euros (2.07 billion in Italian exports to Serbia and 1.77 billion in Italian imports from Serbia). The main sectors of activity include the automotive, banking and insurance sectors, textiles, footwear, agriculture and, as of recently, energy. Several Italian companies are also involved in the construction sector in Serbia.
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The database of the Development Agency of Serbia shows that, between 2007-2019, Italy was the leading investor in Serbia, both in terms of the number of projects implemented and absolute value. Italian companies have to date invested over three billion euros in Serbia and, according to a recent study that will be published soon by the Embassy of Italy and the Italian-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, employ a total of 39,000 workers. Considering indirect employment too, Ital-
