Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali met Wednesday with representatives of US companies to discuss Serbia’s economic policy and opportunities for expanding cooperation.

Mali presented Serbia’s investment plans until 2027 – when Belgrade will host the specialized Expo exhibition – to a delegation comprising Citibank, Visa, Pfizer, and Bechtel representatives, the Ministry said in a press release.

The members of the delegation said they were interested in expanding cooperation with Serbia on big projects which were under way or in preparation.

“Despite all the global challenges and conflicts, which I hope will stabilize in the coming period, Serbia manages to remain a leader in the region in attracting foreign direct investment, with a regional share of 63 percent, and growth of that parameter this year too,” said the finance minister.

He said that last year Serbia attracted a record 4.5 billion euros in foreign direct investment but that at the same time it was investing record sums itself, seeing as the share of capital investment in Serbia had reached 7.4 percent of GDP.

The minister recalled that Serbia recently obtained an investment-grade credit rating and that its GDP is projected to expand 4.2 percent next year.

Specialized Expo 2027 Belgrade will contribute decisively to maintaining this pace of growth, as will the signed agreements on free trade, which are exceptionally attractive to foreign investors, said Mali.