Agency Presents Activities to Belgian Business Representatives

The Serbia-Belgium Business Forum took place on September 16, organized by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Flemish Waterways Network, and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Serbia in Belgium.

The forum gathered representatives from 27 Belgian companies primarily involved in river shipping, transport, and logistics.

At the event, the Port Governance Agency showcased its key activities and development projects. Ksenija Hajduković, Senior Associate, emphasized that Serbia holds significant potential for the development of port activities, given that two international rivers – the Danube and the Sava – flow through the country. "The Danube, as the only waterway in Europe, connects Serbia with Western and Southeastern Europe, and further with Asia and Africa through our ports," she said.

Hajduković highlighted the Agency’s recent investments and noted that several projects in both freight and passenger traffic are currently underway on Serbia’s rivers, including dredging for the future marina in Smederevo, the construction of new international passenger terminals on the Danube, and the development of marinas in Veliko Gradište and Golubac.

Speaking about the "Sail Through Serbia" project, she emphasized that the efforts are focused on establishing the missing nautical infrastructure in the country while raising public awareness about the benefits of the nautical sector for economic and tourism development. "We expect the project to contribute to increased revenues from nautical tourism, a higher number of tourists on the rivers, and the strengthening of Serbia’s position on the nautical maps of Europe and the world," she concluded.

Assistant Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, Aleksandar Banjac, emphasized that the ports on the Danube and Sava are of exceptional importance to Serbia’s economy and that investments in these ports need to be intensified. "We are about to work on expanding the capacities of the ports in Bogojevo, Prahovo, and Sremska Mitrovica. In addition, maintaining navigable waterways is a ministry priority, with a special contribution to safe navigation coming from the removal of the sunken German fleet near Prahovo," he said.

Igor Kronja, Advisor to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, noted that total trade between Serbia and Belgium has steadily increased, ranging from €635.3 million in 2019 to €975.5 million in 2023. "Belgium’s total investments in Serbia amounted to €127.3 million, and we hope to further intensify this cooperation through visits like this," Kronja stated.

Representatives of Belgian companies emphasized that their goal is to stimulate river shipping and green the sector, adding that cooperation with Serbia and the exchange of experiences could aid in achieving this objective.