UPDATE: Minister Trivan visits USA to talk about investments in environmental protection

Article from August 9 updated with new information. 

Minister of Environmental Protection of Serbia Goran Trivan has visited the USA, where he has discussed investment opportunities for American companies in the field of environment in Serbia.

On August 9, at the invitation of the State of Maryland and the Serbian-American Business Council, Trivan spoke at a conference dedicated to Serbia, where he presented the investment potential in the field of environmental and nature protection, water and waste treatment and other sectors related to the environment.

On the eve of his visit to the United States, he highlighted as important investments in the wastewater and municipal waste treatment, as well as land remediation

Those topics are important for Serbia, not only because of the transfer of modern and clean technologies, but because Serbia has to solve these issues first, he said on the eve of his visit to the United States.

Nearly EUR 5 billion needed in water sector

Investments needed in water sector and solid waste management in Serbia are estimated at around EUR 4.9 billion and EUR 900 million respectively. Over EUR 470 million are needed for remediation and decontamination of land just in polluted industrial sites, Trivan said at the conference in Maryland.

He urged US companies to invest in Serbia, especially in the areas of wastewater and waste management. According to the Serbian Ministry of Environmental Protection, a delegation of US businessmen engaged in the field of environmental protection could visit Serbia at the end of the year.

Trivan also said that Serbia is particularly interested in the disposal of so-called historical waste which was generated in the past, and hazardous waste. The country is also interested in development of the renewable energy, he added.

“Our ambition is to discuss with stakeholders in the world investments in the areas that include eco-tourism, organic food production, or industry,” he said.

Trivan also discussed with local officials Maryland’s capacities and efforts made in the field of environment.

In Washington, he met with Judith Garber, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science in the State Department. They expressed readiness to exchange experiences, as well as to strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between Serbia and the United States.

After almost 10 years, Serbia got separate Ministry of environmental protection at the end of June when the new government was formed.