The President of the European Commission: "You have done a great job on the Reform Agenda, I have seen great progress"

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, hosted the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who was on an official visit to Belgrade on October 25 and 26.

"The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans should bring our markets closer, and gradually integrate them. We are opening doors in certain sectors for Serbian companies, and in return we are asking for certain reforms, which are supported by additional investments from the EU. It has been a year since that started, and the countries have prepared their agendas. I want to thank you for the great work on the Reform Agenda," she pointed out and added that it will contribute to an easier exchange of funds between Serbia and the EU.

"We are working on opening Cluster 3"

She also stated that Serbia is becoming a leader in the field of green energy and electric vehicles.

Von der Leyen said that it will bring as many as 20,000 jobs and 6 billion euros to Serbia and that this money will stay in our country.

"Also, we will respect and preserve your wonderful nature, and that is the standard we use in the European Union, and since Serbia is a future member, we are doing it here as well. It is a sustainable future for the next generations. The third initiative is the investment plan for the Western Balkans. Already five billion investments have come, and we are working on projects related to clean energy. I am impressed by the results I have seen at the HTEC Company," she said, and underlined that the EU is Serbia's biggest economic partner.
Regarding hydroelectric power plants and the electricity supply system, she also stated that a lot has been done in Serbia, while working together on green transport projects, such as the railway corridor 10.

"I remember when we were in Niš at the beginning of that project, and the results are there. All this forms a solid basis for Serbia to become a member of the EU. You are still committed to becoming part of the European family. In times of conflict, it is important to become part of a peaceful family. You have shown that you can fulfill the necessary measures, and you have committed yourself to the implementation of reforms. We have seen that actions follow your words. In this spirit, we are working on the opening of Cluster 3. I also want to thank you for your help to Ukraine," said the President of the Commission.

"Serbia is dedicatedly working on the European path and we hope for results"

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has repeatedly thanked Von der Leyen for the support that the European Union provides to Serbia.

He also reminded that the EU is Serbia's biggest donor and partner.

Vučić stated that he had a long and open conversation with the President of the Commission, that there are things that the EU objects to Serbia, but that President Von der Leyen was always ready to listen to the representatives of Serbia.

He pointed out that Serbia was and remains on the European path.

"As long as I am the president, we will not change the main goals of our foreign and domestic policy. This means that our European path is of key importance for our progress, that Serbia will work dedicatedly on that path, and that we hope for results," said Vučić.

Vučić referred to today's visit of Ursula von der Leyen to the HTEC Company, which preceded the reception at the Palace of Serbia, and said they always had the support of the EU and the EBRD, "and these are things we must not renounce".

He added that he also discussed the geopolitical situation with President Von der Leyen, and explained to her what Serbia's policy is.
"From respecting the UN Charter, the international legal order, to the fact that I can state with pleasure that Kyiv has given an agreement for the opening of our embassy in Ukraine," said Vučić.

He emphasized that trade exchange with EU countries is constantly growing, and that there was a lot of talk about the Reform Agenda.

"We know what our job is, and what we have to do in terms of the rule of law, judicial reform and trials in a timely manner," he emphasized.

He also pointed out that infrastructure projects are extremely important for us, and that the most important project at the moment is the Belgrade-Niš railroad.

He also said that he is confident that in the coming period we will have additional results that we will be able to boast about.

"We expect that Serbia will attract 64 percent of investments within the Western Balkans. Our growth rate is at the European level only behind Malta, and our public debt rate is twice as low as the EU average, 46 percent. But we could only enter into those reforms thanks to EU help," concluded Vučić.

The President of the Commission will travel to Pristina tomorrow, after which she will end her visit to the countries of the Western Balkans in Podgorica.

EU’s Support of HTEC

HTEC first partnered with EU and EBRD funds in 2020 when the Bank approved a loan, co-financed by the Enterprise Expansion Fund (ENEF) under the EU Investment Framework for the Western Balkans, to facilitate HTEC's acquisition of Serbian IT company Execom.
After the successful integration of Execom, HTEC experienced significant growth. He immediately doubled the number of engineers and quickly turned into one of the largest and fastest growing technology companies in the Western Balkans.

In September 2022, an agreement stipulating a 55-million-euro loan was signed, which supported the further expansion and internationalization of HTEC's business through strategic acquisitions. The company has also invested in strengthening its services and expertise in all domains, including FinTech.

The loan is the largest EBRD financing to date for a company from the technology sector in the Western Balkans and is in line with the bank's strategy to promote the growth of the technology sector and digitization in the region.