Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017
On 21 and 22 May 2017, Vienna Economic Forum, together with Serbian Association of Economists and under the Patronage of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, organized Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017 in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. The event brought together high-level representatives and visionaries from the region’s economy, politics and diplomacy, from Europe and from other continents.
On the evening of 21 May, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Mr. Marko Cadez, welcomed the participants and speakers of Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017. Following the opening speech of Mr. Aleksandar Vlahovic, President of the Serbian Association of Economists, Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva solemnly presented Mr. Marko Cadez the VEF Badge of Honor.
The pragmatically oriented presentations by Dr. Gabriel Lansky, Partner at LANSKY, GANZGER + partner, Member of the Executive Board of Vienna Economic Forum; Frau Dubravka Nègre, Head of the Western Balkan Regional Office of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Belgrade; Dr. Ludwig Nießen, Member of Vienna Economic Forum; Amb. Gazmend Turdiu, Deputy Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in Sarajevo; and Prof. Dragan Djuričin, Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade and Member of the Presidency of the Serbian Association of Economists, were followed by a lively discussion.
The first plenary session on 22 May 2017, chaired by Prof. Dr. Miroljub Labus from the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade and member of the Serbian Association of Economists, was dedicated to the “Regional Cooperation on a European Path”. Secretary General of Vienna Economic Forum Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva opened the session with a solemn speech.
Mr. Oskar Benedikt, Acting Head of the European Union Delegation in Serbia; Dr. Ognian Donev, CEO, Sopharma PLC, Bulgaria and Vice President of Vienna Economic Forum; Mr. Daniel Berg, Director for Serbia of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Ms. Nataša Mikuš Žigman, Secretary of State for Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts of Croatia; Mr. Emmanuel Forest, CEO, Bouygues Europe SA, Belgium, Member of the Board of Vienna Economic Forum; and Mr. Gordan Milinić, Director of the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIPA), gave lively discussions about the various possibilities to promote regional cooperation.
In appreciation for his great and excellent support for the successful organization of Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017, Mr. Oskar Benedikt received the VEF Badge of Honor from Secretary General Amb. Dr. Elena Kirtcheva at the first plenary session.
In the second plenary session, with the moderation of Dr. Milan Parivodić Parivodić Advocacy Lawyers, Serbia, and Board Member of Vienna Economic forum, and under the statement of Mr. Milun Trivunac (State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Republic of Serbia), the speakers discussed the “Regional Investment Opportunities” in Serbia and sought after pragmatic solutions. This discussion counted with the participation of Mr. Zoran Drakulić, President of the Serbian Business Club Privrednik; Mr. Aleksandar Medjedović, Chairman of the Turkish-Serbian Business Council (DEIK) and Member of Vienna Economic Forum; Mr. Kemal Kafadar, Senior Advisor at the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT), Member of the Board of Vienna Economic Forum; and Mr. Marco Hernandez, Program Leader for Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, Vienna Office for World Bank.
Overall, these discussions lively noted and stressed critical issues that are unavoidable for the region in order to facilitate a significant and major boost to the further development of regional economic cooperation.
The fact that Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017 was organized under the Patronage of Jean-Claude Junker, President of the European Commission, speaks for Serbia’s great role in the EU integration process and the economic cooperation of the whole region. Vienna Economic Forum is very grateful both for the moral support of the patronage and for the powerful support of the European Union delegation in Serbia in the realization of Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017.
Vienna Economic Forum is also very proud that Vienna Economic Talks – Belgrade Meeting 2017 was organized together with the Serbian Association of Economists and the great support of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Vienna Economic Forum would like to thank all the cooperation partners: Jackovich International LLC, Wiener Börse AG, Bouygues Europe SA, LANSKY, GANZGER + partner, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey, and especially CANON CEE GmbH, Sopharma PLC, Parivodic Advokati/Lawyers and Österreichische Post AG.
