Dear Members and Friends

Dear Members and Friends

First of all, warm wishes to all our members for the Christmas season, whenever you celebrate.   This has been a very difficult year for all of us.   But with the latest good news, we can hope for a healthier and happier 2021.  Personally, I look forward to meeting members again in person and of course visiting Serbia again.
 
Despite the challenges, it’s been very encouraging to see the BSCC membership grow, as both Serbian and British businesses look to take advantage of future opportunities.   We have welcomed several new members this year, British and Serbian, large and small, and are now in our strongest position for many years.   In 2021, we hope to see more new members, but equally to ensure that all members recognise the benefits of being part of the Chamber.  I look forward to hearing from you how we can help.
 
After an excellent visit to Belgrade in January, with a reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence as the highlight (BSCC Reception January 2020 with Mira Adanja-Polak - YouTube), we moved both group and individual contacts online.   Our webinar in October on Brexit will be followed by another this month focusing on immigration issues.  We have kept closely in touch with the two Governments, including of course through “our” HE Ms Aleksandra Joksimović and HE Ms Sian MacLeod, who have continued to provide great support for which we are very grateful indeed.   We recently “met” Martin Vickers MP, recently appointed as the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for the Western Balkans in an important sign of British Government support for business.
 
We have established mutually beneficial relationships with business organisations – the British Chambers of Commerce and the FIC with (which we now have a formal association) as well as the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and British Expertise International, to explore specific opportunities but also to ensure that the concerns of our members are heard, particularly on the urgent need for a post-Brexit Trade Continuity Agreement.    This will remain a top priority until it’s done.
 
We have strengthened both our Board and executive team this year.   I welcome our new Board colleagues, who represent a diverse range of companies and who will further extend our connectivity in both countries.  We are delighted that, with Richard Robinson joining Jadranka Dervišević-Kitarić, we now have Executive Directors in both Belgrade and London.   In December, Tamara Ristić, based in London, was appointed as Company Secretary. Miss Ristic will support the BSCC Board and legal representative in Belgrade, Stefan Jankovic.  With the arrival of Alex Muir and Miljana Vasiljevic both in Belgrade, our administrative/social media team is also complete and looking forward to supporting our members.  I want to thank the team for all the hard work over the past year and look forward to another year of success.
 
There are grounds for optimism in 2021.   Brexit has given the UK a new horizon and impetus in international trade, and we have seen considerable interest in the region.   Serbia’s new government has ambitious economic plans with strong scope for British-Serbian collaborations.   To ensure we can contribute to the opportunities, the Board has adopted a strategy for 2021.    We have identified real estate and infrastructure, mining, renewables and food and beverages as sectors in which we will organise or support significant events.   We will also aim to strengthen our engagement in manufacturing, financial and professional services, IT and fashion/textiles.   Once circumstances allow, we will advance our work on healthcare and tourism.   And we always remain open to ideas and proposals from all our members.
 
Thank you again for your support during the past year.   I hope that you manage a good break over the next few weeks and look forward to meeting – physically, I hope – as many members as possible early next year.

My Warmest Wishes
Dr David Landsman

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