Mali receives Mexican ambassador

BELGRADE - Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali received Mexican Ambassador to Belgrade Carlos Felix Corona on Thursday to discuss opportunities for economic cooperation between Serbia and Mexico and forging closer business ties through the chambers of commerce of the two countries.

Mali said Serbia had great respect for Mexico and appreciated its expressed desire for the two countries to expand segments of their cooperation with the aim of cherishing good diplomatic and more intensive economic relations, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

He said Mexican businesspeople were an inspiration as they loved development and market competitiveness, and that Mexico was a friendly country to Serbia.

Mali said Serbia was committed to the EU accession process and working on meeting all regulatory requirements by 2026.

Meanwhile, it is using the potential of being the EU's "neighbour", through bilateral trade agreements that reduce customs duties, taxes and fees for businesses, he added.

"That option puts our country in a favourable position and is an indicator of Serbia's potential," Mali noted at the meeting, held at the Finance Ministry.

He informed the ambassador of progress of works to build an EXPO 2027 complex and host the event in Belgrade, and noted that, to date, 110 countries had confirmed their participation.

Corona said that, until now, Mexican businesspeople had mostly gravitated towards North America but that the pandemic had taught everyone that risks must be diversified, and added that the economies of Serbia and Mexico should be connected more closely through the chambers of commerce.

"We want to expand the cooperation. The potential is great and we will be trying to bring Mexican businesspeople to Serbia," Corona said.

He highlighted the good Serbia-Mexico relations, historical similarities between the two countries and cultural ties, noting that books by more than 50 Mexican authors had also been translated to Serbian.

The parties also noted the significance of global political dialogue, and Mali said Serbia would be honoured to host a visit by the president of Mexico.