Serbia as Ukraine’s Key Business Hub in the Balkans

20 May 2026

Serbia has the potential to become a key economic and logistics hub in the Balkans for Ukrainian companies, while a Free Trade Agreement could triple trade between the two countries and open a new chapter in their economic cooperation, participants said at the Serbian-Ukrainian Business Forum held during the visit of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka to Belgrade. Negotiations are expected to be completed by the end of the year, paving the way for the abolition of customs duties on trade in goods.

The forum brought together more than 40 Serbian and Ukrainian business representatives, as well as officials and companies from the sectors of agriculture, river transport and logistics, mechanical engineering, metals and electrical industries, with the aim of strengthening economic ties and connecting companies from the two countries.

President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia Marko Čadež said that Serbia and Ukraine are countries that have learned through crises how to make their economies more resilient and flexible.

“There is a lot of talk about living in a time of uncertainty. But if you want to see how an economy develops, reshapes itself and reinvents itself, you should look at Ukraine. Look at how logistics, agricultural production and cybersecurity have been transformed. It is people, their ideas and creativity, that drive the economy,” Čadež said.

He stressed that the Free Trade Agreement is an important framework, but that the true strength of cooperation lies in companies and people who “create and change things again and again.”

“While everyone is saying that we need to prepare for the period ahead, we are already living that future,” Čadež said, adding that countries such as Serbia and Ukraine are showing Europe today what an economy capable of adapting to global shocks looks like.

President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Gennadiy Chyzhykov said that Serbia is one of the most attractive markets in the region for Ukrainian companies.

“Serbia should become the most important business hub in the Balkans for Ukrainian companies,” he said.

He added that Ukraine is strongly developing its green economy and digitalisation, and that major potential also exists in agriculture and food security.

“After the signing of the Free Trade Agreement, we should triple the volume of trade. We see great potential in logistics, mechanical engineering, agriculture and construction,” the president of the Ukrainian chamber said.

Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade Jagoda Lazarević said that global economic turbulence has further demonstrated the importance of partnerships and economic resilience.

“Europe is facing serious economic challenges, which is why we need partners. Europe is our key economic partner, but at the same time we are diversifying our operations and opening new markets. Building resilience has become a necessity,” Lazarević said.

She announced the signing of a joint statement on the continuation of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka said that now is “the right moment” for the more intensive development of bilateral trade and joint projects.

“We see the Free Trade Agreement as a project of long-term cooperation. We have a great deal of optimism and we want to continue organising similar events, including in Kyiv,” Kachka said.

Deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia Mihailo Vesović recalled that the chambers of commerce of Serbia and Ukraine signed an agreement two and a half years ago on mutual support and cooperation, as well as support for European integration.

Deputy President of the Serbian Business Club “Privrednik” Dragijana Radonjić Petrović said that business always finds new routes, adding that the most important part of the forum was the B2B meetings, where companies had the opportunity to connect and establish new contacts.