Skopje, 3 December 2025 (MIA) — The Macedonian and Serbian economies are compatible and complement each other, with room remaining for even stronger cooperation, Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Andrijana Mesarović said Wednesday at the opening of the Macedonian-Serbian Business Forum in Skopje.

She said Serbia's exports to North Macedonia in the first nine months of 2025 were worth more than EUR 804 million, up by 16% compared to the first nine months of 2024. 

Mesarović also noted that over 953 companies with mostly Macedonian capital were successfully operating in Serbia, primarily in trade, construction, the processing industry and the ICT sector.

"Since 2012, investments from North Macedonia in Serbia have reached more than EUR 115 million. This confirms that regional investors have recognized the stability, predictability and excellent business climate in our country," she said, adding that Serbia had an excellent investment credit rating, an important international indicator of macroeconomic stability. 

"This is a message to investors that Serbia is a safe place to invest, with clear rules, stable finances and responsible economic policy," Mesarović said.

The two countries, she said, fostered active political dialogue and practical cooperation. She added that the Open Balkan initiative had produced concrete results both for companies and for citizens.

Calling on Macedonian investors to invest in Serbia, the Serbian economy minister listed some advantages her country offered, including free trade agreements with China, the Eurasian Economic Union, Turkiye, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

"These agreements open the door to a huge number of markets under preferential conditions, which gives your products a strong competitive advantage," she said, urging local businesspeople to invest in Serbia and increase their export potential.

According to her, Serbia does not see its neighbors as competition but as allies in the modernization and economic transformation process. She pointed to the implementation of Open Balkan agreements enabling citizens of North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania to access each other's labor markets without work permits and to use their national electronic IDs for mutual recognition.

"Today's forum is the crown jewel of our two countries' intense and substantial cooperation. This business gathering has been conceived as an operational platform, a place for concrete agreements, opening new channels of communication and new joint projects," she said.

The Serbian Deputy PM also said she had signed a memorandum of understanding with Deputy PM and Minister of Community Relations Ivan Stoilkovikj earlier Wednesday, aimed at boosting economic cooperation, investments, joint presence in third markets as well as promoting infrastructure and economic projects of common interest.

Mesarović also voiced her hope that the Macedonian-Serbian Business Forum would open up new opportunities, lead to stronger partnerships and pave the way for even closer cooperation between the two countries' business communities. mr/