Representatives from northern Greece are in Belgrade for a series of business meetings as part of an outreach initiative to strengthen ties with Balkan capitals.
The first day of contacts highlighted a "strong willingness" from both the Greek delegation and the Serbian political leadership to further deepen trade, investment, and academic cooperation between the two countries, according to a related announcement. The meetings brought together senior figures from key industry sectors, local authorities, and universities from northern Greece and Serbia, alongside 61 Greek and 62 Serbian businesses.
Read more: Greek business mission to Belgrade targets untapped Serbia trade potential
A dedicated B2B session between Greek and Serbian companies also took place, with discussions having "laid the foundations" for a range of potential new partnerships. Parallel meetings between institutional and academic bodies were also found to be particularly productive, as per the organisers.
Data presented at the event indicated that bilateral trade between Greece and Serbia reached a record level in 2025. Greek investment stock in Serbia stood at €331 million in 2024. While this represented a decrease compared to the 2020-2022 period, it marked an increase from the €250 million recorded in 2023.
Around 250 Greek companies are currently active in Serbia, employing approximately 20,000 people. Their primary sectors include construction, food and beverage manufacturing, trade, telecommunications and information technology, hospitality, and consulting and legal services.
The programme also included meetings between the Greek delegation and Greek entrepreneurs operating in Serbia. Further engagements are scheduled in Novi Sad, where Deputy Interior Minister for Macedonia and Thrace Konstantinos Gioulekas and other members of the delegation are expected to meet Maja Gojković, President of the Provincial Government of Vojvodina.
Gioulekas, who is leading the delegation, stated that the Greek government intends to support the further development of partnerships between Greek businesses and institutions across the Balkans. The choice, he said, reflects the "longstanding cultural and religious ties" between Greece and Serbia, and noted that Greece "strongly supports" the European Union accession path of the Western Balkan countries.
From the Serbian side, government representatives expressed a similar willingness to develop bilateral relations further, with statements from Janko Samardzic, State Secretary for International Cooperation and European Integration at Serbia's Ministry of Education, Zoran Kasalovic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government, and Mihailo Vesovic, Vice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The officials emphasised their desire to strengthen cooperation with Greece across economic, business, and academic fields.
The outreach campaign in the Balkans aims to establish additional communication channels, promote new synergies and partnerships, and support the signing of agreements between representatives of Greek and Serbian institutions, organisations, universities, and businesses. Through structured meetings and coordinated engagements, the initiative seeks to bolster economic and institutional links between Greece and neighbouring Balkan countries.
Belgrade was the second stop on a broader regional tour. The next destination is Bucharest, with the Greek delegation planning its visit for May. The campaign began earlier this year with a trip to Sofia, where over 220 Greek and Bulgarian businesses, along with representatives from numerous institutions, took part.
The initiative was organised by Greece's Ministry of the Interior's Macedonia and Thrace sector, with support from the Greek Embassy in Serbia, the Greek-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Northern Greece, and the Hellenic Business Association of Serbia (HBA).
