First Ikea store in Serbia by end-2013

Ikea should open the first out of five department stores in Serbia in Belgrade by the end of 2013 at the latest, the Ministry of Foreign and Domestic Trade and Telecommunications said in a statement.

The Ministry of Foreign and Domestic Trade and Telecommunications stated that the multinational company Ikea was expected to open the first out of five department stores in Serbia in Belgrade no later than by the end of 2013 if all procedures related to the issuing of building and other permits were finished within a reasonable time. The possibility of opening these department stores was announced in the talk between Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic and the management of Ikea.

Ljajic conferred with Ikea SEE representatives Dragan Skalusevic and Vladimir Vasiljevic on the company`s business plans in Serbia and the manners in which the state can facilitate the position of similar companies in the market.

Skalusevic, Ikea`s regional sales manager for southeast Europe, informed Ljajic about the company`s plans to open five sales centers in Serbia in the coming period.

Speaking about the functioning of the Ministry of Foreign and Domestic Trade and Telecommunications, Minister Ljajic underlined that all sectors of the ministry will in future be fully available to domestic and foreign investors in order to facilitate their business, and ease or abolish complex bureaucratic procedures, the statement reads.

Ljajic also announced a change of certain trade laws in the near future, which would improve business atmosphere and attract investments in Serbia.