Macut: Serbia wants to define new investment and reform cycle with World Bank

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Djuro Macut met with World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Antonella Bassani in Belgrade on Wednesday to discuss the international financial institution’s further support for Serbia, and noted that Serbia wanted to define a new investment and reform cycle with the World Bank.

Macut said the focus would be "on further maintaining macroeconomic stability, changing the structure of growth by relying more on productivity, exports and investment in knowledge and the creation of quality jobs, as well as on digitalisation and energy security," a government statement said.

"The Prime Minister stressed that membership in the European Union remains Serbia’s most important strategic goal and that Serbia, accordingly, remains fully committed to the reforms needed for progress towards the EU and wishes to accelerate them in the coming period.

Speaking about the macroeconomic situation, he stated that Serbia is in a stable position with clear medium-term projections and a gradual acceleration of GDP growth, that public finances are under control and that investment remains an important component of growth.

The Prime Minister noted that real GDP growth this year is projected to range from 2.1 pct to 2.3 pct, while forecasts show that in 2026 it could reach 3 pct, and in 2027 approximately 5 pct, due to a major investment cycle and final works related to Specialised Expo 2027," the statement said.

"Macut expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its partnership to date in preserving financial stability and implementing numerous reforms in the country," it also said.