EMG’sThird Annual Regional Economic Cooperation Conference will focus on removing barriers for economic integration, economic cohesion, and economic competitiveness, with the goal of answering key questions such as:

- How has the crisis affected economic cooperation?

- What are the employment objectives for the upcoming period?

- What does the region gain or lose with the entrance of global players?

- What are the obstacles for realizing regional economic integration?

- Is the crisis an opportunity to strengthen regional economic cooperation?

Who Should Attend:

- Top management from regional and global companies

- Investment consultants

- Lawyers

- Representatives from regulatory bodies

- General Managers

- Risk Managers

- CFO’s

- SME’s that want to cooperate with larger companies on new projects

- Top management of banks, insurance companies and financial institutions

09:00-09:30 Delegate Registration and Refreshments

09:30-09:45 Keynote Speech: Adriano Martins,  Deputy Head of Delegation, Delegation of the European Union to Serbia

09:45-11:15 Panel 1: Regional Cooperation: Removing barriers for economic integration

Moderator: Neil MacDonald, Balkan Correspondent, Financial Times

Vesna Arsic, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Republic of Serbia
Borislav Ratković, Assistant Minister for Economic Policy and Development, Ministry of Finance of Montenegro 
Ivan Misetic, Secretary General, Atlantic Group
Luis Ople, Senior Information Specialist, World Trade Organization

- IA Agreement-what will it mean for regional cooperation and development
- CEFTA-establishing a free trade zone
- Local economic reforms and regional support-what initiatives are being taken?
- Cross-border cooperation-measures taken to ease economic integration
- Privatization-a chance for global companies and the effects on regional integration
- Regional competitiveness and employment objectives
- How to better integrate different policies at the local level
- Stabilizing the macro-economic environment
- Opening public procurement markets
- “Buy Domestic!”-one of the effects of the global crisis

11:15-11:45 Networking Coffee Break

11:45-13:00 Panel 2: Regional Cohesion

Moderator: Vojislav Stevanovic, Editor, Ekonom:east Media Group

Toplica Spasojevic, President of ITM Group
Nikola Vujacic, General Director, Victoria Group
Jerko Ivanković Lijanović, President of Supervisory Board, Lijanovići
Vucko Vukovic, general director, Rudnap Group Minel Kotlogradnja

- What are the obstacles to realizing regional economic integration?
- What does the region gain (or lose) with the entrance of global players on its scene?
- Creating powerful regional retailers-does it help or hurt regional integration?
- How are regional companies coping with the entrance of global giants on the market?
- Venture capital to assist business initiatives in the Balkans
- Barriers beyond borders
- Strategic alliances as a means to strengthen the economy and improve regional cohesion

13:00-13:30 Networking Coffee Break

13:30-15:00 Panel 3: Regional Competitiveness

Moderator: Juri Bajec, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister

Sharon Valentine, Director, USAID Serbia Competitiveness Project
Marina Wes, Lead Economist, World Bank
Milko Stimac, President, Securities Commission of the Republic of Serbia
Djurdjica Mihotic-Zizic, Chief Advisor, Supervision Sector II, Capital Markets Department, HANFA
Dzafer Alibegovic, Member, Securities Commission of the Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina

- Innovations stimulating competitiveness
- Harmonizing the investment climate of the region to increase competitiveness
- Advantages of the region as an expansion market for investors
- Preconditions for export(s) competitiveness
- Is the crisis an opportunity to strengthen regional economic cooperation?
- Regional developments in infrastructure and means of financing

15:00-16:00 Networking lunch and cocktail