After successfully held Diaspora Business Days of Kladovo and Negotin municipalities on January 1, 2022, ICMPD and the project Link Up! Serbia II successfully organized the Business Diaspora Day of the city of Požarevac and the First Roma Diaspora Business Forum in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Austria on January 28, 2023. While the Link Up! Serbia II project organized both events, the hosts of the Business Diaspora Day of the city of Požarevac were His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Nebojša Rodić, director of the Representation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia in Vienna, Ms. Nada Knežević, the Mayor of Požarevac Mr. Saša Pavlović, as well as the members of the city administration Mr. Marko Savić, Head of the Department for Local Economic Development and Mr. Budimir Miloradović, Head of the Department for Local Economic Development, Agriculture and Environmental Protection.

The Business Diaspora Day of the city of Požarevac was also attended by the representatives of institutions from Serbia: Ms. Tamara Ivković, director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce Požarevac as event moderator, Mr. Predrag Stankov, director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce Zrenjanin, Ms. Jasmina Štrbac, Head of the Department for Local Economic Development and Mr. Slobodan Stojićević, Director of the “Sonja Marinković” Secondary Agricultural School in Požarevac. Representatives of the city of Požarevac presented investment opportunities and investment incentives, while members of the business diaspora, 26 of them, talked about their own investment projects in Požarevac, as well as the challenges they face in their implementation. During the event, cooperation and next steps in overcoming those challenges in cooperation with the administration of the city of Požarevac were agreed upon.

The Business Forum of Roma from the Diaspora, the first of its kind, followed right after, hosted by His Excellency the Ambassador Mr. Nebojša Rodić, as well as the Mayor of Požarevac, Mr. Saša Pavlović. In addition to them, Ms. Usnija Buligović, expert on the project, as well as Vladimir Petrović, expert on the project and president of the Roma Association of Braničevo District (URBO), gave introductory speeches. The event was also attended by Ms. Jasmina Štrbac and Mr. Predrag Stankov. All participants agreed on the importance of this event for Roma entrepreneurs in the diaspora and expressed the hope that the event will be organized again. 15 Roma entrepreneurs in Austria presented their investment projects and opportunities for cooperation with companies in Serbia, and the event ended successfully with the exchange of contacts, information and agreements on the next steps.