The members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with China met today, in the National Assembly, with a delegation of the Chamber of Chinese Companies in Serbia and representatives of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, with whom they discussed the possibilities for furthering cooperation and creating the most favourable environment for successful joint projects.
The Head of the PFG with China Marina Ragus said that the current National Assembly legislature’s Friendship Group has devised a work plan aimed at better acquainting the MPs and the public with all the successfully realised investments of the People's Republic of China in Serbia, as well as with the possibilities for new joint ventures. She opined that the PFG with China is a bridge connecting various institutions and local governments with Chinese companies and investments.
Cooperation with China has been raised to a whole new level through the work and commitment of the Friendship Group, said the Chairman of the Committee on Administrative, Budgetary, Mandate and Immunity Issues Milenko Jovanov, stressing that this will contribute to the establishment of even more open relations between the two countries’ parliamentarians, as well as closer cooperation between the businessmen.
The meeting was attended by members of the PFG with China, who are also members of the National Assembly committees in charge of areas of mutual interest for cooperation between our two countries: Dr Aleksandra Tomic - Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Economy, Regional Development, Trade, Tourism and Energy, Veroljub Arsic - Chairman of the Committee on Finance, State Budget and Control of Public Spending and Tomislav Jankovic - Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Spatial Planning, Transport, Infrastructure and Telecommunications. They presented the significant projects Serbia and China are co-implementing in the fields of trade, energy, geology, mining, transport, telecommunications and in the ICT sector. They also proposed a number of new opportunities for cooperation in these areas.
As representatives of the local self-government, the meeting was attended by the Mayor of Kikinda, Nikola Lukac and the Director of Kikinda Sports Centre "Jezero", Dejan Pudar, who presented the Chinese businessmen with a conceptual project concerning the use of the geo-thermal springs in Kikinda as alternative sources of heating for the sports and accommodation facilities for tourist purposes.
The representatives of the Chamber of Chinese Companies in Serbia opined that they have efficient and successful cooperation with the Serbian Government, National Assembly and local self-governments, stressing that since the end of 2022 China has become Serbia's largest foreign trade partner. They presented the work of their companies operating in Serbia, pointing out certain difficulties in their work relating primarily to complicated administrative procedures, for which the members of the PFG with China expressed their willingness to personally help overcome. Together with the representatives of the Chinese Embassy, they underlined the importance of the joint projects and the support the Chinese companies have for doing business in Serbia.
