PARADI: France wants to increase investments in Serbia

- France wants to increase investments in Serbia and that is why the delegation of French entrepreneurs has come to Belgrade - the leader of that delegation, Šarl Paradi, said yesterday (June 11, 2009).

He said at the meeting between the officials of 30 French companies and the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Mirko Cvetković and Božidar Đelić, that France was the sixth investor in Serbia and the eighth trade partner, and that it wanted to improve that position.

Paradi said that the Government of Serbia had implemented significant reforms in order to improve the business environment and legal framework, and to shorten bureaucratic procedures and eradicate corruption, but he added that numerous additional reforms were necessary as well.

- The effects of the economic crisis are evident in Serbia and, according to the latest estimates, recession in 2009 will amount to 2-7%, which worries us - said Paradi.

He added that he would like to get more information from the Serbian Government on the ways in which Serbia would fight the crisis and protect the population from its consequences.

According to Paradi's words, the delegation consists of the representatives of leading companies in their sectors, such as infrastructure, construction, transportation, energy, telecommunications, aviation, environment protection, tourism and pharmacy.

The Ambassador of France to Serbia, Jean-Francois Terral, said that France wanted to strengthen relations with Serbia in all fields and added that the two countries could not have stronger relations without strong economic cooperation.

- We are of the opinion that Serbia already represents a significant actor in the region and it will become even more important in the future, which is why we think that Serbia has the potentials to be admitted into European Union - said Terral.

- We want to give a new impulse to bilateral relations with Serbia in all fields in the spirit of strategic partnership, which was mentioned by the President of France, Nikola Sarkosi, during the visit to Serbian President, Boris Tadić, to France - he added.

The representatives of French companies, members of association Mouvement des Enterprises de France (MEDEF), will be staying in Serbia prior to Friday, June 12th.