Japanese companies are welcome as strategic partners

BELGRADE - Acting President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Milivoje Miletic called on Japanese companies on Wednesday to help restructure government companies in Serbia as strategic partners.

There is a lot of room for improvement of the economic relations between the two countries and increase in trade, he said at a business forum between Serbian and Japanese companies held at the PKS headquarters, and he stressed that the Japanese economy was very competitive on the global market and in possession of highly developed technology.

The forum was organised during a visit by a delegation of the Japanese business organisation Keidanren, which was led by co-chairman of the organisation's Committee on Europe Yoshio Sato.

The Japanese delegation was made up of officials from companies from the sectors of trade, industrial production, construction, airline, banking and insurance.
"Our goal is to complete the restructuring of government companies and we need strategic partners," Miletic noted.

The Serbian economy has deteriorated gradually and the long transition period has left deep marks, he stated, adding that the PKS, with over 100,000 business entities as its members, was working with the government to improve the business environment.

Miletic thanked Japan for its assistance and stressed that this Far Eastern country was one og the biggest foreign donors in Serbia.

Keidanren has about 13,000 companies as its members and 110,000 industrial associations.

Keidanren delegations visit European countries each year in an effort to improve cooperation between Japan and Europe, Sato stated, adding that Japan was an important partner to the EU and that Japanese business clubs had...