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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia able to attract investment despite crisis

Svilajnac, 18 March 2009

Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic today attended the signing of an agreement on cooperation between the municipality of Svilajnac and the Dutch company Tristan Fresh Produce, envisaging the construction of a distribution centre and a factory for fruit and vegetable processing.

The centre will be constructed in the Veliko Polje industrial zone and will help Serbian agricultural producers to export their products considerably.

Djelic stated that despite the global financial crisis Serbia is still able to draw investors.

He pointed out that Koeleman Foods is a leading company in terms of fruit and vegetable processing whose products can be bought all over the world, adding that their overall investment is worth several million Euros.

The Minister noted that Koeleman Foods will invest in Svilajnac because there is the School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences there.

Good veterinarians, technicians and engineers have brought this company today to Svilajnac, said Djelic, reiterating that Serbia must respond to the crisis with close cooperation between local self-governments and the state because every investment and contact counts.

He said that following the company Reum which is building a car parts factory, Koeleman Foods has also arrived in Svilajnac, while a third foreign investment is being negotiated.

The agreement was signed by Svilajnac Municipal President Gorica Dimcic-Tasic and on behalf of Tristan Fresh Produce, Plasid Mahude, authorized representative of Koeleman Foods..

The signing was attended by Minister for the National Investment Plan Verica Kalanovic and State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development Dejan Jovanovic.

According to the agreement Svilajnac is obliged to provide the Dutch company with six hectares of land with infrastructure for a period of 99 years, while Tristan Fresh Produce must build the distribution centre on an area of five hectares and construct a facility for producing vegetables.

The company should also build a fresh fruit and vegetable processing factory over the next three years. The initial investment will be €1.5 million and the investor is obliged to employ 15 workers.