More than 45 traders from 8 countries (Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and Hungary) meet 22 Italian companies who have demonstrated Made in Italy excellence in the Nutraceutical and Fitness sectors, on the B2B professional traders’ meeting day organized at the Metropol Hotel by the Belgrade office of the ICE Agency in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Belgrade.
“There is a growing demand for a better quality of life in Serbia and especially in Belgrade, which manifests itself in many ways,” said Antonio Ventresca, the director of the Belgrade ICE Agency. “The historic aptitude of Serbs to excel in sports, which we, who live here, have seen in the joint celebrations of the achievements of Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic, has been complemented in recent years by a heightened and widespread awareness of the importance of quality nutrition, of the need to use quality and certified products to cope not only with physical exertion but also with particular health conditions, acute or chronic. In this sense, the companies that are present here will demonstrate that Serbia is already an almost mature market, if not yet in volumes, but certainly in the potential and unique consumer culture. Our effort, as the Belgrade office of the ICE Belgrade Agency, is twofold: to view the market basin of neighbouring countries, such as Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and as far as Poland as a whole, to collaborate with all ICE offices in these countries in establishing direct business contacts that are quick to materialize thanks to both the selection of traders and their ability to operate in the various markets of the area. Our team in Belgrad would like to remind you that we are available to give continuous assistance to our guests today: for us, every trade promotion event is a starting point on a road to be taken together and not an occasional contact or a finished initiative in itself.”
Italian Ambassador to Serbia, H.E. Luca Gori, pointed out that: “Sports diplomacy in a country that gave to the world so many champions and where the culture of psychological and physical well-being develops year-on-year is not a marginal aspect in relations between two countries like Serbia and Italy. To the Italian companies present here today, I would like to say that this country offers multiple opportunities for economic development to be discovered if you have an open attitude, and even go beyond the intentions and goals set before today’s meetings.”
Ambassador Luca Gori recalled how Italy is increasingly structuring its presence in Serbia to foster the growth of business ties, boosting Italian companies already present in the country and the formation of new companies. “The presentation event tonight in the residence of the SIMEST office in Belgrade, the first one outside Italy, which will be attended by President Pasquale Salzano and SIMEST Managing Director Regina Corradini D’Arienzo also demonstrates to the Italian companies present here how our country supports those who want to invest in Serbia, with a plurality of tools to understand and calibrate their commercial and financial efforts. In the coming months, SACE and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti will also open offices in Belgrade and broaden the spectrum of available services and solutions“, the Ambassador added.
In the Serbian dietary supplements market, Italy ranks tenth with 313 products present, accounting for about 3 percent of the total of the market that imported more than $71 million worth of supplements in 2022. This is a figure that can be improved with a more strategic approach to the Serbian and neighbouring markets. Serbian market grew by 17 million euros between 2021 and 2022, amounting to 290 million in total, Milena Bickov, senior advisor for the pharmaceutical and medical industry at the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, ICe Agency’s partner in the initiative, noted in her speech.
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