Ikea offered land near Belgrade's airport - Serbia to do everything to attract Swedish investments

- Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integrations Božidar Đelić said yesterday (February 22, 2010) that Serbia would do everything to attract Swedish investments and added that the negotiations with Swedish Ikea on its arrival in the market of Serbia prior to 2011 were underway - it is stated on the website of the Government of Serbia.

Đelić pointed out after the meeting with the Swedish Trade Minister Ewa Bjorling that the parcel that would be allotted to Ikea had been identified and added that it belonged to the Cattle Breeding Institute and that it was located across the road from airport Nikola Tesla.

He said that Sweden's annual donations to our country amounted to 11m EUR and pointed out that the trade exchange between the two countries was not yet at the level that was in accordance with our ambitions.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Sweden for major decisions for Serbia during that country's presidency of the European Union in the second half of year 2009 such as the decision made by the Council of Europe on application of Transient Trade Agreement and Serbia's submission of candidacy for membership in the EU.

Bjorling pointed out that she spoke with Đelić about further progress of Serbia in the process of European integrations, as well as about improvement of regional and, especially, economic cooperation between Serbia and Sweden.

She said that they also talked about facilitation of the procedure for investing in Serbian economy, as well as about what Serbia can do to eradicate corruption and remove administrative barriers.

Speaking of Serbia's European integrations, Bjorling pointed out that Sweden was supporting the process of expansion of the European Union, as well as Serbia's membership in the EU.