Čadež: CCIS to Open First Representative Office in Africa, in Cairo

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) will open its first representative office in Africa this year, specifically in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, announced Marko Čadež, the president of the CCIS, after a meeting with Badr Abdel Aty, Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Čadež highlighted Serbia's long-standing good relations with the Egyptian economy but emphasized that a completely new cooperation era is ahead of us.
"The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia intends to open its first official office in Africa, in Cairo. We have ten offices worldwide but none on the African continent. Many major companies are working with us to prepare this endeavor in the best possible way, ensuring Serbian companies have access to this market while making it easier for Egyptian companies to find partners in Serbia," Čadež stated.
He mentioned that several projects by Serbian companies in Egypt are already underway, such as "Neomedica," which has started trial production of hematological reagents, and "Sigma," which expects to open its factory soon. Additionally, a Serbian company specializing in agro mechanics plans to set up facilities in Egypt, along with others.
This progress is made possible by the Free Trade Agreement, which, according to Čadež, will be ratified by the Serbian Parliament by the end of February.
"The eagerly awaited news that the Free Trade Agreement will be ratified, having been approved by both governments and now in the ratification process, is expected by the end of February. This allows us to move to a new level of cooperation. Our major companies are ready, as are Egypt's, not just for trade but for joint projects as well," Čadež added.

Today, the CCIS hosted talks between the Egyptian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abdel-Aty, and representatives of about 30 Serbian companies to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel-Aty, remarked that "the sky's the limit" for cooperation between the two economies.
"There is immense potential in both Serbia and Egypt for collaboration in areas such as investments, joint ventures, construction, the IT industry, artificial intelligence applications, agriculture, and food processing," said Abdel-Aty. He also announced Egypt's active participation in "Expo 2027" in Belgrade.
He stated that 2025 will be a great year for cooperation between Serbia and Egypt, bringing significant developments in trade, investment, and the economy. According to him, the Free Trade Agreement will increase bilateral trade volume by over 400% after it comes into force.
Additionally, the 19th session of the Joint Economic Committee is expected in the second half of the year, which will further enhance trade and economic relations. Abdel-Aty also announced a visit by a large delegation of Serbian companies to Egypt, led by Serbia’s Prime Minister Miloš Vučević.

At the event, Jagoda Lazarević, Assistant Minister for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, spoke about opportunities for cooperation between Serbian and Egyptian businesses. She is expected to take over the role of Minister of Trade soon.