The Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, took part in the press conference – held at Palazzo Italia in Belgrade – presenting Italy’s participation in the 93rd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, scheduled to take place from 16 to 21 May 2026.
Italy is preparing for a significant collective presence, with a dedicated 400-square-metre pavilion organised by the ICE Office in Belgrade, in collaboration with the Italian National Federation of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers – FederUnacoma.
In addition to Ambassador Gori, Antonio Ventresca, Director of the ICE Office in Belgrade; Slobodan Cvetković, Director of the Novi Sad Fair; Jelena Nestorov Bizonj, President of the Union of Cooperatives of Vojvodina; and – via video message – Cristian Maretti, President of Legacoop Agroalimentare, also took part in the conference.
Italy’s participation in the Novi Sad Fair confirms the growing economic cooperation between Italy and Serbia in the agro-industrial sector. According to 2025 data, Italy became Serbia’s second-largest supplier in the agro-industrial sector, with exports amounting to €100.2 million, representing a 16 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Over the last three years, Italian exports in the sector have recorded an overall increase of 54 per cent.
During the conference, the extensive programme of activities accompanying Italy’s presence at the fair was presented, including an exhibition area, thematic seminars, informational workshops, institutional meetings, and B2B sessions. Thanks to the regional network of the ICE Agency, around 30 importers and distributors from eight Balkan countries will take part in the Fair’s activities, creating new opportunities for commercial cooperation between Italian and Serbian companies.
Among the key events is the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between Legacoop Agroalimentare and the Union of Cooperatives of Vojvodina, scheduled for 19 May. The agreement aims to promote new forms of collaboration between the Italian and Serbian cooperative systems, with particular attention to strengthening the aggregation of agricultural producers, technological innovation, sustainability, and the digitalisation of supply chains.
“The Novi Sad Fair once again confirms itself as a strategic platform for generating new momentum in economic cooperation between Italy and Serbia in the agro-industrial sector,” stated Antonio Ventresca, Director of the ICE Office. “In this context,” he added, “the signing of the Memorandum between Legacoop Agroalimentare and the Union of Cooperatives of Vojvodina is also highly significant: the fact that Italy has become Serbia’s second-largest supplier in the agro-industrial sector confirms the strengthening of an increasingly dynamic and structured economic partnership.”
“In an international context in which innovation, sustainability, and food security are becoming ever more important, agro-industrial cooperation between Italy and Serbia represents a strategic and rapidly growing sector,” declared the Italian Ambassador to Serbia, Luca Gori, adding: “Italy’s participation in the Novi Sad Fair,” he added, “confirms our commitment to supporting the modernisation of Serbian agriculture through technologies, expertise, and high-quality partnerships with our country.”
