French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce awards Vucic

BELGRADE - The French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce presented Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic with the special award for outstanding contribution to the development of bilateral relations between Serbia and France.

The award was presented at the ceremony marking the fifth anniversary of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Upon accepting the award, Vucic said that his efforts to strengthen the ties between the two countries were his obligation, adding that he wanted the French companies and citizens to feel at home in Serbia.

"We can add a new dimension to our friendship - the economic cooperation, and I will invest more energy and efforts to achieve that," Vucic said.

The trade between Serbia and France increased by 15.5 percent over the past year, and even better results are expected this year, he noted.

A number of French companies have shown interest in the privatization of Serbian enterprises, the prime minister pointed out, adding that the bureaucratic obstacles that they encountered have now been removed.

Vucic voiced his expectation that the French prime minister's visit to Serbia, scheduled for November 5-6, will contribute to the cooperation and the launching of new projects that will bring Serbia and France even closer.

"I can see that the French companies are more and more inclined to come to Serbia," said Vucic, adding that the government has already achieved a part of what it had promised and that even more significant reforms lie ahead.

The award was presented to Vucic by the President of the French-Serbian Chamber of Commerce Patrick Collin, who thanked the prime minister on the energy and efforts he invested in the improvement of...