Vucic: Japanese investors welcome, Serbia has stable business environment

TOKYO - Japanese investors are welcome in Serbia and will always have a stable and predictable business environment for investing in Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday in Tokyo at a dinner with executives of Japanese companies.

Vucic said he expected to see the Japanese business community in Serbia grow.

Japan Tobacco Chairman Mutsuo Iwai, who also chairs the Serbia-Japanese Business Club, hosted the dinner for Vucic.

"I am deeply grateful to you for hosting this dinner. I am glad to see you all. I know how much effort nearly all of you have invested in your operations in our country, and how much love you have invested in that. Today, I mentioned some data, some figures in a statement to Serbian media, how much money you have invested and how many workers you employ in our country. But, even more than that, you have invested all you had, your knowledge, your courage and, at the same time, your love, which you have, in fact, dedicated to Serbia," Vucic said, noting that Japanese companies in Serbia employed nearly 7,000 people.

"I hope the Japanese community in Serbia, especially the business community, will grow. I will tell you why I believe that and why I hope. We are going through turbulent times that exist not only in Serbia, but around the world as well. It looked like things were more difficult in our country than in some other countries. Today, things look different. Tomorrow, they will look completely different. I believe that, as always, we will be able to ensure stability, predictability and that, together, we will be able to build a business environment that will suit us, to mutual benefit," he said.

The dinner was also attended by executives of the Japanese companies Ito-chu, Toyo Tire, Yazaki, JFE and JT, as well as by Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia Persident Marko Cadez, Minister of Science Bela Balint and the director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, Mihailo Jovanovic.