Poor trade with central Europe - 222.4m USD smaller exchange of goods between Serbia and Poland in 2009 than in 2008

Polish and Serbian entrepreneurs met and agreed that the exchange of goods should be increased because it amounted to total of 345m USD in 2009, 222.4m USD less than in 2008. The deficit on Serbian side was not proportional to the decline in mutual trade - it dropped from 253.8m to 210.4m USD.

The year of the crisis significantly reduced the exchange of goods with other countries of central Europe as well. Our trade with Hungary, which was worth 1.1bn EUR in 2008, amounted to 728m USD last year. The exchange of goods with Slovakia dropped from 600m USD in 2008 to 409.5m USD in 2009. We had 514.2m USD worth of exchange with Czech Republic in 2008, while the trade in the first 11 months in 2009 amounted to only 326.3m USD. And it was always Serbia to register deficit.

- The economic cooperation between Serbia and Poland, especially the exchange of goods as its most important segment, has been intensified over the last few years, although deficit is still on our side since import is nearly three times larger than export - said the people in the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia.

The problem is, however, the structure of goods in both export and import from Czech Republic. Serbia exports products of lower level of processing, while the import is dominated by the products of higher added value. The future of Serbian-Slovakian cooperation lies in SME sectors of the two countries.

The economic cooperation between Serbia and Hungary has been growing significantly over the last few years. Since 2001, the exchange is quintupled, but deficit is still on our side - import is 2.5 times larger than export.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Polish entrepreneurs are interested in investing in infrastructure and energy sector. They suggest that three small hydroelectric power plants should be built, as well as that they should participate in revitalization of the factory of engines and tractors.