(ANSA) - BELGRADE, OCTOBER 8 - A big conference began today
in Belgrade, focusing on collaboration in the field of
innovation and technological progress involving China and 17
Central and Eastern European countries. And that is the
so-called '17 +1 'format, which was initiated by the Beijing
government in recent years to extend and strengthen China's
economic and commercial presence in the countries that
particularly need support in their development process. The
conference is the third to be held in this format. The meeting,
which will continue tomorrow, was opened by Serbian Prime
Minister Ana Brnabic and Minister for Innovation and
Technological Development Nenad Popovic, along with the Chinese
Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Wang Zhigang, who has
been visiting Belgrade since yesterday. A meeting is taking
place, attended by more than 200 companies, universities,
institutions, and investment funds from China and the 17 Central
and Eastern European countries. During the meeting, the latest
novelties and trends in the sectors of strategic innovation,
digitization, artificial intelligence, robotics will be
presented. China, Prime Minister Brnabic said, considers Serbia
one of the key partners in terms of innovation and technological
exchange. "We look at the digitization - she added - as the way
to create a richer and more prosperous society for all". Brnabic
has included the problems of digitization and technological
progress among the basic points of her government program.
Minister Popovic underlined the Serbian government's support for
the 'Silk Road' initiative launched by China. Serbia believes -
he said - that this program aims at creating more wealth,
progress and well-being. The Belgrade Declaration on the
principles underlying technological development is expected to
be adopted by the end of the conference. China has intensified
its economic presence in Serbia in recent years through
investments in strategic sectors. Among the most important is
the acquisition of the Smederevo steelworks, which is in big
trouble, by the steel group Hbis, along with a maxi-investment
in the mining basin of Bor (eastern Serbia). (ANSA).
© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved