“This was a great opportunity for networking, knowledge and experience exchange with people from the same industry and with people from different industries as well” said Vuk. Many successful Serbian companies were invited to participate and to take advantage of business opportunities.
This Matchmaking Event was a sub-forum in the 7th China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum during the 6th Meeting of Heads of Government of CEEC and China (the “16+1 Summit”). Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony a financing support for cooperation between China and 16 Central and European countries. He announced the establishment of China-CEEC Inter-Bank Association and the second phase of China-CEE Investment Cooperation Fund. The idea of cooperation platform between Central and Eastern European Countries and China – shortly referred to as 16+1 – was conceived after the first China-Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum that was held in 2011 in Budapest. Members of the format include China, 11 EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia; and 5 non-EU countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Participating countries aim to invigorate and expand their cooperation on a wide range of areas, including but not limited to trade and investment, connectivity, finance, agriculture, science and technology, health, education, culture, people-to-people relations and local connections. In order to facilitate cooperation and exchange, various mechanisms and institutions have been established, gradually enhancing the 16+1 framework. Members seek to build a lasting partnership on the principles of openness, inclusiveness and mutual benefit. More about this Forum can be found here.