Ambassador of Slovakia, His Excellency Michal Pavuk, and his associates from the Embassy, visited Kruševac and held a presentation and discussions with the entrepreneurs of Rasina District.
Mayor Manojlović addressed the present guests and entrepreneurs:
“I am glad a strong economic relationship with the Slovak Republic has been established, and especially glad that I had the opportunity to fulfill a cultural achievement together with his Excellency through the “Limenka Teatar Fest”, held the previous summer. I expect to increase and strengthen the cooperation, even though I believe we are on a good route in regards to trade exchange, which is a key aspect. There are other fields where we can definitely improve cooperation.
Huge gratitude to the company directors who came here to support these types of gatherings. Hopefully, they will have their questions and queries about coopeation answered. I see this as an excellent chance to see what we, as a city, can do to further support your collaboration.
I am grateful for the host’s hospitality, the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kruševac. Thank you, Your Excellency, and thank you Embassy associates for the time and visit to not only Kruševac but the whole district. You will always be welcome here, and we hope you will return here as guests, when your busy schedules allow”.
Director of RCC, Maja Markovič, was satisfied with the discussions about the potential entrepreneurs’ collaboration and the overall visit of His Excellency Pavuk:
“Republic of Serbia and Rasina District have made a huge leap in the past 10 years. Results speak for themselves – the foreign trade exchange of Rasina District in 2024 was worth 877.2 milllion euros, a 6.5 percent increase. The industrial manufacturing saw a 15 percent increase when compared to the same period last year.
Rasina District has 13150 businesses, unemployment rate has decreased, as the number of unemployed in the District is 14137, with 6349 in Kruševac, by September 2025 data.
Most investors recognized Kruševac and Rasina District as an excellent place to expand their business, a trend that has been trending since 2012. Beside the well-developed domestic economy, the largest and strongest international companies have expanded here, as well, companies such as “Henkel”, “Goodyear”, “Kromberg”, “Kromberg & Schubert”, “Valvoline”, “Amphenol”, “DS Smith”, and others.
Serbia and Slovakia have had traditionally good and friendly relations, which is an amazing foundation for further development of the economic cooperation. The main engines of economic growth, the ones that have enabled our country to become one of the regional hubs that attracts international investors, are the growth of industrial manufacturing and infrastructure investments. In Serbia, there are 204 businesses from Slovakia. Potentials for cooperation are far greater than one might initially think, no matter if it is an investment or cooperation realized through the formation of joint companies and expansion to other markets.
Rasina District has two important Slovakian investments – “14. Oktobar Kruševac”, the one His Excellency and Minister of Defense Bratislav Gašić visited last year, and “Amphenol Group”, an American corporation with a branch in Trstenik, which we will be visiting later today”.
His Excellency Pavuk held a presentation about the economic fields of Republic of Slovakia and common field of cooperation between the entrepreneurs of Kruševac, Rasina District and cities of Slovakia.
After the conclusion of the presentation, His Excellency continued his visit to other Rasina District municipalities.
More than 1783 Serbian companies have business relations with companies from Slovakia, with 30 of them being from Rasina District.
Data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia say that trade goods exchange during Januar – December in 2024 was worth 1,066 million euros. Export was increased by 5,4 percent, and import by 4,6 during the same period in 2023.
The most imported goods are various raw materials for metal industry, eletrical equipment, cardboard and fresh fruit. As for the exports, most are catalyst sets for automotive industry, and miscellaneous goods from different fields, such as military and metal industry.
The cooperation possibilities with Rasina District businesses are the highest in the chemical and food industries, then in the automotive industry, and, finally, in the innovation and mutual investments spheres.
