CCIS at the Carpathian Economic Forum in Bukovel, Zelenskyy Visits Serbian Pavilion

The Carpathian Economic Forum, the central economic event held as part of the inaugural Carpathian Eight (C8) Summit, opened this evening in Bukovel, Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who officially opened the Forum, also visited the Serbian pavilion.

Serbia is represented at the pavilion by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), the Development Agency of Serbia, Expo 2027 Belgrade, as well as Serbian companies, including Mind Park and Millennium Team.

Participation in the Forum provides an opportunity to showcase Serbia’s economic potential, connect Serbian companies with partners from the region, and create new opportunities for business and investment cooperation.

The Forum brings together representatives of governments, the business community, investors, financial institutions and development partners from the Carpathian region and the European Union, with the aim of strengthening regional economic cooperation and creating concrete business and investment opportunities.

Taking place on 18 and 19 September, the Forum focuses on opportunities to advance regional economic cooperation, investment, and specific business and project opportunities, with particular emphasis on energy, industry and manufacturing, transport and logistics, as well as tourism and the development of natural capital. The programme also includes presentations of investment projects and opportunities for establishing new partnerships between companies and investors from participating countries.

At the inaugural Carpathian Eight Summit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić highlighted the importance of cooperation among countries in the region, noting that the Carpathian Initiative represents an opportunity for Serbia to open new avenues of connectivity with countries in this part of Europe. He stressed that energy, roads, railways and other infrastructure projects are of major importance to all countries in the region, and noted that trade between Serbia and Ukraine has increased by 42 percent.

The Summit brings together Serbia, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the participation of European Union institutions.

The Carpathian Eight is a new regional format aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of economic development, energy, infrastructure, logistics, investment and cross-border cooperation.

Serbia’s strategic position further contributes to connecting the Carpathian and Danube regions, as the country is naturally linked to the countries of this part of Europe through trade, transport, logistics and energy flows. Thanks to its position on the Danube, Serbia can serve as an important link between the Western Balkans and the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Significant potential also lies in improving transport connectivity, strengthening links between companies, and developing joint business projects.