The beginning of economic diplomacy in Serbia
The beginning of economic diplomacy in Serbia

Summary/Abstract: The Republic of Serbia is facing, as many other countries with similar characteristics, disastrous consequences of the recession that has captured the global economy since 2008. All this is happening today, in the time of intense and painful reforms, as a prerequisite for its entry into the European Union. This represents a long-term strategic goal of Serbia. According to the conception of the author, one of the ways that the foreign policy and foreign economic performance of Serbia become productive is to help Serbia step out the recession and make economic progress. Therefore, the key is to have a modern, well-organized and effective economic diplomacy. Unfortunately, we are faced with the inherited practice with formalized and out-of-date managers, who do not have enough understanding or faith in the possibilities and the importance of economic diplomacy. This is disappointing because the experiences of successful economic diplomats were supposed to be implemented in Serbia. Failures of the proper and qualitative selection of the first generation of 28 young economic diplomats, who were sent into the world in 2010, are used as an excuse so that the development of economic diplomacy can be aborted. Instead of correcting the mistakes of the most promising staff and their performance in the capital economic centres, it is easier to keep everything the same. The goal of this article is to underline, once again, the importance of real, well-chosen and prepared economic diplomacy for the communication with a lot of governmental institutions in charge for the economy and our performance on the global markets in the fight for consumers, foreign investments or strategic partnerships for the economic prosperity of Serbia. There are also a number of positive evidence on the successes and achievements of economic diplomacy. What the author wants to show is the first understandings of the importance of economic diplomacy in Serbia, in “Načeratnije” (Program of foreign and national politics of Serbia), wrote by Ilija Garasanin in 1844. Maybe this will help for a better understanding of the significance of today’s modern economic diplomacy in Serbia.

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