The Association of Serbian Businessmen of Switzerland has been actively involved in celebrating the Day of the Republic of Srpska, so the Medal of Merit to the People it was awarded on the occasion of that holiday represents the support and recognition for decades of work on connecting the diaspora and the motherland. That afforded an opportunity for interview with Stojan Stevanović, president of the Association of Serbian Businessmen of Switzerland.

As the president of a Serbian diaspora association, what is your view of the awarded medal?

The awarding of the Medal of Merit to the People is the first time the Association of Serbian Businessmen of Switzerland has been shown support and recognition in this way for decades of work on connecting the diaspora and the motherland. Considering that the recognition came from the President of the Republic of Srpska, Mr Milorad Dodik, this has a special significance for us and a clear message for our commitment, effort and work on connecting the Serbian people.

How and in what way does the diaspora in Switzerland contribute with its work to connecting the motherland and the diaspora?

Through decades of humanitarian work, organizing fairs, summits and forums, marking important dates in Switzerland, we have succeeded in gathering and uniting the Serbian diaspora in Switzerland. To attract diaspora investments to the motherland, to open the doors of Swiss, Austrian and German markets to Serbian businessmen from the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska. One of our goals is to find relevant partners in these countries, so that Serbian businessmen can improve their operation through export to the foreign market. We thus contribute directly to the development of the economy of the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska. . This means secure jobs and higher wages in the motherland, all as advocated by Mr Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia, and Mr Milorad Dodik, President of the Republic of Srpska. We from the diaspora recognize that initiative, we will continue to be a reliable partner in the effort to help our motherland. The diaspora should and must be a bridge between the motherland and the country where they live and work.

How important is the cooperation of diaspora associations with associations from the motherland?

The cooperation of Serbian associations and organizations from the diaspora with associations both in the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska and in the region where the Serbian people live is very important. Because, regardless of where we live, we should all work together on connecting the Serbian diaspora and motherland, but also the Serbs in the region.

On this occasion, I invite associations, both from the motherland and from the diaspora, to improve cooperation and communication, to connect better and make ourselves available to the motherland in order to achieve the highest state and national interests. Because each of us in the diaspora is an ambassador of the Serbian people and Serbian states.

Can you tell us more about the activities planned in 2024?

Already on 3 February, we are organizing a celebration of the Day of the Republic of Srpska in Switzerland. Within this event, we will also organize an economic forum. We expect this event to bring together around 1,500 members of our diaspora. Same as every year, we expect attendance by representatives of the institutions from the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska.

The plan is also to organize a trade fair in June this year to present wine and brandy producers from the Republic of Serbia, Republic of Srpska, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Our goal is for wine and brandy producers to present themselves in the best possible light and to place their products on the Swiss market.

Like every year during autumn, we organize a business forum with the support of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Banja Luka Chamber of Commerce, with IT industry and tourism as the main topics. We wish to promote tourism potentials of the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska, as well as the IT industry, which is one of the main economic activities of the motherland and has recorded export growth in recent years. We also present investment potential of the cities and municipalities from the Republic of Serbia and Republic of Srpska, so that the diaspora recognizes its business opportunities for economic connection with the motherland.

Source: Ogledalo srpsko

Photo: Private archive