On July 22, the EastWest Institute in New York hosted Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, for a roundtable discussion on a range of topics concerning the current and future economic situation of Serbia—and of the wider Balkan region. Over the course of the conversation, Ms. Brnabic highlighted the government’s ongoing reforms focused on improving overall business climate, restricting barriers and setting forth conditions encouraging business development and economic growth.

To date, results have proven favorable, evidenced by increased foreign direct investment and a higher credit rating through the World Bank.

Of primary significance noted the Prime Minister is the continued emergence of the IT sector in Serbia, which she underlined as the future of the country’s economy, innovation capacity and the source of long-term sustainable growth. While the focus might be on developing modern technology, Ms. Brnabic also reflected on the importance of maintaining Serbian culture and identity, as a critical complement to future growth.