Vucic: We expect Angolan investors to come to Serbia

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday he expected Angolan investors to come to Serbia and that there were major opportunities for cooperation in many areas, in agriculture in particular.

Vucic was speaking at a round table titled Serbia and Angola: From Successful Projects to New Partnerships - 50 Years of Friendship and Cooperation.

"I am proud that an exceptionally respectable delegation of Angola is here, but I also want to tell you, esteemed President of Angola, that representatives of all important state authorities, agencies, institutions, as well as privately-owned companies, are here," Vucic told Angolan President Joao Lourenco, who is on an official visit to Serbia.

He added that some of the privately-owned companies had already invested in Angola, while others were planning to.

"To them, Angola is a very interesting place to invest in, just like I believe that, in the period to come, we will also be able to see a significant portion of companies from your beautiful country show interest in investing in Serbia," Vucic said.

With a population of more than 35 million, Angola is one of the most significant economies in Africa's Sub-Saharan region and its oil sector has retained the crucial role, he said.

"The top exporters to Angola are China, Portugal and the UK, and Angola's top export markets are China, India and Spain. We have not succeeded in ensuring that our economic and foreign trade relations keep up with our political relations, and I believe we can do many things in the period to come," Vucic said.

Lourenco urges Serbian business community to come to Angola

BELGRADE - Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco urged on Tuesday in Belgrade the Serbian business community to come and explore the potential of the Angolan market and take part in the country's economic transformation.

Lourenco was speaking at a round table titled Serbia and Angola: From Successful Projects to New Partnerships - 50 Years of Friendship and Cooperation, held at the Palace of Serbia.

"We want to open a new chapter on the path to a strategic partnership by deepening the relations in the economy and the business sphere," Lourenco said.

He noted that Angola was a young nation of hard-working and cordial people that was fortunate enough to have unique flora and fauna and arable land that was yet to be developed.

"We are a country with major potential in tourism and a prosperous future," Lourenco said, adding that the goal was to transform Angola's potential into well-being and social prosperity.

"We have adopted a national development plan and, in the past years, we have ensured a safe business environment that is favourable for foreign investment," he added.

Lourenco said that, besides investing in people, Angola had carried out a series of reforms designed to create a dynamic and diverse economy where the private sector was assuming a key and central role when it comes to innovation and employment.

"To meet these development needs, the authorities in Angola are implementing a broad development plan for transport, infrastructure, electricity generation, water treatment, water supply and telecommunications coverage, and we are investing in high-quality social infrastructure," he added.

The Angolan economy is a growing economy, Lourenco said.

"I would highlight the agriculture sector and cattle farming, machinery and accompanying equipment, the pharmaceuticals industry, the automotive industry, tourism and the digital economy, as well as all other sectors that can be of interest to Serbian investors," he said.