«Doing Business in Serbia» Opportunities for Greek Businesses in the Framework of the EU’s Western Balkans Development Plan 2025

Athens, February 17, 2025, | Enterprise Greece, in collaboration with the Economic & Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Embassy in Belgrade, successfully hosted the first webinar of 2025 and the twenty-fourth in its ongoing series “Doing Business in… challenges and opportunities,” on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, focusing on the Serbian market.

The webinar, which attracted 85 registrations, featured speakers from the Greek Embassy in Belgrade and the business community, who highlighted the unique characteristics of the Serbian market, with particular emphasis on the food and beverages, cosmetics sectors, as well as EU-funded projects under the Western Balkans Development Plan.

A key takeaway from the event was that, while Serbia’s economy is small, it is growing rapidly, with an estimated growth rate of 4% by 2027. Investments and infrastructure projects, such as those in transport, renewable energy, water and waste treatment, and information and communication technologies (ICT), are key drivers of this growth.

In terms of specific sectors, Greek products in food and beverages—such as olive oil, citrus fruits, dairy, and wine—are becoming increasingly popular in the Serbian market, driven by growing consumer purchasing power and greater familiarity with Greek products, thanks to tourism. The consumer goods sector, including cosmetics, also holds potential, despite increased competition from multinational and private-label products that have gained market share post-pandemic.

Opening the event the CEO of Enterprise Greece, Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, emphasized the significance of the webinar series, saying: “This is the first event of this year’s successful webinar series that we’ve established since 2020. We’re thrilled to start with Serbia, a country with which we share common traditions, values, and religion. These shared elements have been crucial in strengthening our bilateral relations, and they continue to grow through business missions and planned participation in the 2027 Expo in Belgrade.”

The Greek Ambassador to Serbia, Ms. Maria Levanti, also addressed the audience, stressing: “In addition to the excellent level of bilateral relations, Greece places special emphasis on the development of Greek Serbian economic and trade relations.”

Finally, the Head of the Belgrade Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs, Mr. Antonis Katatodis, commented: “Serbia is a small but dynamic market with significant opportunities and challenges for quality Greek products and businesses seeking to enter the market.”