Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic emphasized Monday that economic cooperation with Italy is vital for Serbia, calling for increased efforts to attract investors from this European Union (EU) country.

„We have increased the volume of trade between Serbia and Italy to over 5 billion euros annually, but I am not entirely satisfied. In the coming period, our job is to surpass Albania, which is Italy’s number one trade partner in the Balkans,” Vucic told a forum titled Serbia – Nord Est Italia – Regional Business Networking, hosted by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

He acknowledged that Serbia’s limited efforts to attract Italian investment have kept it from becoming Italy’s leading partner in the Western Balkans, though he pointed out that several major Italian financial institutions maintain headquarters in Serbia.

The president highlighted Serbia’s recent achievement of an investment-grade credit rating and its position as Europe’s second-fastest growing economy.

Vucic announced plans to focus on developing the Belgrade-Trieste route from 2026, promising to create substantially better conditions for Italian investment.

We also need to enhance our expertise and train professionals within our administration, areas where Italy can provide valuable assistance, said the president.

The forum, which brought together representatives from 115 Serbian and Italian businesses, aimed to explore opportunities for stronger economic collaboration between the two markets.