Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić has opened the 5th Textile Fair “Balkan Textile 2017”, and announced that tomorrow they will sign the agreement with the famous Turkish company for production of wool on opening their factory in Lebane, employing about 300 people at start.

As they have said, the 5th Textile Fair in which 53 companies from Turkey, China, Portugal and Serbia will present is for the first time taking place in Belgrade this year, and that the event has so far been organised in Novi Pazar with the intention only to establish business contacts.

“The Belgrade Fair confirms the excellent cooperation between Serbia and Turkey in textile industry”, Mr Ljajić has stated, adding that we import various textile products from Turkey in the value of about 180 million dollars.

Mr Ljajić has announced that the negotiations with four Turkish companies in the field of textile industry which have the intention to start production in Serbia are in the final phase.

He has also said that the government wants to promote the model in the future according to which the old deserted halls in Serbia would be renewed and reconstructed, to be ready, so that those who are interested in coming to Serbia and organise their production, could place their machines there and immediately start operating.

“That’s the model we’ve used in Lebane, and we are also visiting other plants in Lazarevac, Kraljevo, Niš and Leskovac”, said Mr Ljajić, reminding that Serbia is giving significant incentives for opening new plants.

Minister has reminded that 23 Turkish companies have been registered this year in Serbia, while in 2016 there were 136 Turkish companies registered in Serbia.

“Textile industry is one of the leading economic branches in Serbia, and about 2.000 companies operate, employing around 40.000 workers, mostly women. Textile producers exported the goods for 497 million dollars last year”, Minister has stated.

He has also said that the textile industry of Serbia has been expanding in recent years, it is being reset again, which is also confirmed by the information that the textile industry is the second when it comes to the value of realised investments after the car industry.

“The improvement in this sector is confirmed also by the information that by the year 2000 Serbia was on the 195th position among the textile suppliers in the EU, and today it takes the position number 18”, Mr Ljajić has concluded.

At the Fair “Balkan Textile 2017”, apart from fabric, there are also machines and equipment presented from the textile sector.