Serbia and Kazakhstan Strengthen Economic Partnership: Seven Agreements Signed, Over 90 B2B Meetings Held

As part of the official two-day visit of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, to Kazakhstan, the state–business delegation today took part in the Extended Session of the Serbian–Kazakh Business Council and a Business Forum attended by more than 150 business representatives from Serbia and Kazakhstan. Participants represented the construction, pharmaceutical, metal, ICT, agriculture and food industries, energy, and defense industries.

Addressing attendees at the Extended Session of the Serbian–Kazakh Business Council, Nenad Popović, Minister in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, emphasized that “there is significant potential for cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the defense industry, agriculture, food production, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, construction, ICT services, and investment.” The Minister welcomed the establishment and renewed work of the Business Council and invited Kazakh companies to visit Serbia and take part in the country’s largest trade fairs to explore the substantial opportunities offered by the Serbian market.

Arman Shakkaliyev, Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stated that Serbia represents a new market for Kazakhstan and a very friendly environment offering strong potential for building new, secure, and stable supply chains.

“We view Serbia as a reliable partner in the Balkans and an important economic hub of Southeast Europe, with significant industrial, logistics, and investment potential,” Shakkaliyev said. According to him, Kazakhstan and Serbia will develop meaningful cooperation in agro-industry, mechanical engineering, logistics, renewable energy, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Mihailo Vesović, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, expressed satisfaction with the participation of 25 Serbian companies and their representatives.

“This is a positive signal that encourages expectations of concrete business agreements and the expansion of existing cooperation,” Vesović emphasized.

Vesović invited Kazakh companies to establish partnerships and cooperation with Serbian firms, as well as to consider opening joint ventures in Serbia to take advantage of the institutional support provided by Serbia’s network of free trade agreements. He added that he hopes the number of Serbian companies cooperating with Kazakhstan will increase and that today’s forum will serve as a strong impetus in that direction.

Business representatives presented themselves across five panels—transport and logistics, agriculture, pharmaceutical industry, information technologies, and construction—followed by more than 90 B2B meetings. At the Business Forum, seven cooperation agreements were signed, predominantly in the fields of innovation and technological development.

The Center for Digital Transformation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia signed a cooperation agreement with Astana Business Hub in the areas of startup ecosystem support, knowledge exchange, and digitalization.

This visit successfully formalized the work of the Serbian–Kazakh Business Council, which in the coming period will focus on expanding existing forms of economic cooperation and fostering regular and continuous business dialogue. The visit of the Serbian business delegation to Kazakhstan took place after a ten-year hiatus, and a more intensive exchange and stronger cooperation are expected in the period ahead.