Zoran Djindjic

Prague, September 20, 2001 (Beta) - Czech and Serbian Prime Ministers Milos Zeman and Zoran Djindjic agreed in Prague to exert maximum stimulation of investment by Czech firms in Yugoslavia, and to encourage cooperation between private companies.

Djindjic stressed that the governments were not in a position to give orders to companies, but the state can encourage firms to invest in certain regions, i.e. in Serbia by means of support and active policies to stimulate investment.

"The Czech Prime Minister considers himself the greatest lobbyist for Serbia and in the past year he has tried to find the means for an active policy towards Serbia," said Djindjic, adding that he was assured by Prime Minister Zeman that the Czech private sector was interested in such cooperation.

The Serbian Prime Minister said that our country is in camaraderie with Hungary, the Czech Republic and other countries in the region, and wants their enterprises to merge with Serbian ones, for instance in the field of infrastructure, and to make use of their financing for support of export, without burdening them with high taxes.

The Czech government has already donated about $13 million to Serbia. Early results are visible in the transport and power industries, and new projects are on the way.

The Serbian Prime Minister will talk about the possibilities of Czech investments in the Serbian economy, the involvement of Czech capital in privatisation, and possible Yugoslav participation in the Czech market at the 34th Economic Forum in Prague on Friday.

During his two-day visit to Prague, Djindjic will also meet with President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel and President of the Czech Parliament's Chamber of Deputies Václav Klaus.