Vucic: Africa the only market with serious growth

BELGRADE - Africa is the only market that is seeing serious growth, but it is not only a market but a resource of knowledge for the future, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday, urging officials and businesspeople to devote great attention to Africa.

Speaking at a Serbia-Equatorial Guinea round table on a partnership for the future - held as part of Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's official visit to Belgrade - Vucic said European governments and even businesspeople often looked down upon anything not coming from the US, the EU and perhaps Japan and South Korea.

He said this was a big mistake and that the African market was a place where much could be learned.

Equatorial Guinea is extremely friendly to Serbia, and opportunities are slowly emerging for investing on African soil as well, he said.

He said Serbian businesses wishing to export to Equatorial Guinea or invest in the country would be given "a hundred percent support" from the Serbian government.

"That is in the interest of our country," Vucic said, adding that it was important to forge as many ties as possible.

He noted that trade was fully liberalised in entire Africa and that presence in Equatorial Guinea gave businesses access to markets across the continent.

He told Mbasogo Serbia was currently Europe's best performer in terms of economic growth.

"Our growth will enable us to invest more," he said.