BUSINESS PARTNER
INTERVIEW
DANIJELA ČABARKAPA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE JAPANESE BUSINESS ALLIANCE IN SERBIA (JBAS)
STEADY
Growth
In a short period of time, the Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia made a huge difference in the way member companies, as well as Japanese companies interested in Serbia, access valuable information and communicate their views related to the business environment
T
he Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia (JBAS) was established by, and on the initiative of, Japanese companies already operating in Serbia, meaning that it was not set up as a branch office of the Japanese national chamber – the Japan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI). However, it was soon recognised as a valuable partner for further strengthening and enhancing bilateral cooperation between Japan and Serbia, and thus joined the JCCI network of international Japanese chambers. “This was an important step towards strengthening institutional support. Our goals and activities were, from the very beginning, supported by the Embassy of Japan and Japanese government agencies – the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), as the two main Japanese organisations
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in charge of economic cooperation, which have joined our network as JBAS honorary members,” says JBAS Executive Director Danijela Čabarkapa. JBAS also strengthened its cooperation with the Serbian Development Agency by signing an MoU, covering cooperation in the SME sector and investment related areas, and participated in the organising of the business-related segment of Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Serbia, as well as in the organisation of the first supplier day event for Japanese companies in Serbia, organised within the framework of the Japan-Serbia Business Forum. “Our level of activities has an upward trend in terms of both quantity and quality year after year, which all resulted in us reaching the number of forty-three active members at this moment, and steadily growing,” says Čabarkapa.
