Vucic opens Nestle factory in Surcin

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Nestle representatives ceremonially opened the Swiss company's new, modern factory in the Belgrade municipality of Surcin on Tuesday.

The factory will be producing plant-based meals.

In a speech, Vucic said that, as a wealthy and accomplished man, the company's founder Henry Nestle had been helping the poor.

"A man like him should also represent a role model for a new, different and transformed Serbia - one that is inventive, innovative and incomparably more humane," Vucic said.

He said the factory had a 220-strong workforce.

"What was important for me today is that I saw people who were smiling, happy and satisfied, and that they believe in their future and that they see it at Nestle," he said.

He noted that Nestle had neither requested nor received any incentives or financial stimuli from the Serbian authorities.

He said direct investments from Switzerland in the past 12 years totalled 2.4 bln euros.

"We hope that can be much higher. We want to attract many more Swiss companies to invest in our country," Vucic said.