Serbia–UK Partnership: From Innovation to Investment

British support for infrastructure development, the green energy transition, and the strengthening of economic ties with Serbia and the entire Western Balkan region was one of the central messages of today’s regional business conference “Building Futures”, held at the Lоžionica in Belgrade. Participants emphasized that a deeper partnership with the United Kingdom is a prerequisite for accelerated growth, improved connectivity, and new investments across the region.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that the United Kingdom could further intensify its financing for key infrastructure projects in Serbia and the region, proposing that one of the priorities should be the construction of a high-speed railway connecting Belgrade and Tuzla.

“I would, for example, really like, and I believe the British can help us with this, to build a high-speed railway. It would run from Belgrade to Ruma, but above all, from Ruma to Bijeljina to Tuzla. This would connect Belgrade with Semberija, as well as with Tuzla, the second-largest city in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is of exceptional importance for us. If trains reach 200 km/h, the Belgrade–Tuzla trip would take an hour and a half, no more than that—closer and faster than Tuzla–Sarajevo,” Vučić said.

He emphasized that Serbia needs loans and financing for cross-border cooperation projects, and that further infrastructure development toward North Macedonia is also vital.

“We are working on renewable energy sources. Through major energy projects, we also see opportunities for UK-supported financing. At the same time, we are ready—together with the European Investment Bank and the EBRD, but also with UK Finance and other UK banks—to finance all regional cross-border projects, because this is of key importance for us,” the President underlined.

Mihailo Vesović, Deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), stated that the United Kingdom is one of Serbia’s most desirable partners in the areas of science and technology. He noted that cooperation is developing along three dimensions—institutional, investment, and industrial—and that significant results are being recorded across all levels.

“Institutional integration is yielding results… As for investment, it is important that funds are available to both Serbian and UK companies, and financial instruments help reduce risks and encourage investors. In the industrial segment, the services sector is the best example of how a principled approach produces real effects,” Vesović said. He added that the key sectors are green and energy transition.

The UK Ambassador to Serbia, Edward Ferguson, emphasized that the UK continues to see steady business growth with Serbia, and that British companies can offer expertise and advanced technologies, particularly in the field of green transition.
He noted that last year trade between the UK and the Western Balkan region reached four billion pounds, while trade with Serbia exceeded one billion. He recalled that the first conference was held at the CCIS exactly one year ago, while today’s third meeting symbolically takes place at Lоžionica.

“The UK is offering 24 billion pounds for the entire region, and five billion pounds for Serbia,” Ferguson said, stressing that the goal is to support regional governments in strengthening exports and accessing global markets.

Numerous British companies are already operating in Serbia in the sectors of transport, infrastructure expertise, solar park construction, and decarbonization.
The conference, dedicated to innovation in green energy, infrastructure, and advanced technologies, brought together around 300 regional company representatives and more than 100 delegates from UK firms active in green energy, infrastructure, and high-tech industries.

The “Building Futures” conference was organized by the British Embassy in Belgrade, the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT), UK Export Finance, and the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce (BSCC), with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and its partners.

Photo: Tanjug / Miloš Milivojević