Balkan business leaders urge simpler border controls

Serbian and Croatian business organisations are calling for less friction in the flow of goods across their common border, in the context of the Ukraine crisis, local media reported. 

At a meeting in the Croatian capital of Zagreb on Monday, Serbian Chamber of Commerce president Marko Cadez and Croatian Chamber of Commerce head Luka Burilovic urged their respective governments to accelerate procedures at border crossings.

They also discussed around-the-clock border and inspection services and establishing a joint railway station at Vinkovci where all border controls on both sides could be performed.

Cadez’s organisation argues that both countries’ business communities could reduce losses if long queues and drawn-out processes at the Serbian-Croatian border were addressed, N1 reported. Chamber of commerce members are now looking at ways to speed up border procedures, the Serbian chamber of commerce added.

Last year trade between Serbia and Croatia was over EUR 1.34bn, which represented a rise of 25%. The business leaders also discussed energy cooperation and diversification, the Serbian chamber noted.