Development Agency of Serbia (RAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for business cooperation with the Mizuho Bank, Ltd and its European subsidiary Mizuho Bank Europe N.V. This is the first MOU to be signed between RAS and a Japanese bank, and the cooperation between two organizations would be based on the support to the Japanese companies entering the country. 

Mizuho is a global financial institution with a strong Japanese client base, without a corporate presence in the Republic of Serbia. Since the establishment of the Mizuho Vienna Branch (Austria) in July 2015, Mizuho has been enhancing a range of financial services for clients in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and promoting foreign investments in the CEE region. Moreover, Mizuho bank has also signed MOUs for business cooperation with investment agencies in Austria, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Romania, to enhance support for clients in the region.

Based on this MOU, the potential investors and companies from Japan interested in doing business in Serbia will be able to gain local first-hand information and necessary advisory services from the Mizuho bank. The cooperation intends to support strategic investments in the Republic of Serbia and to contribute to the business expansion as well as the economic development of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally, RAS and Mizuho bank would exchange valuable knowledge and experience, and continue to facilitate dialogue between Japanese and Serbian companies both in the Republic of Serbia and in Japan.

The Development Agency of Serbia (RAS) is a government organization dedicated to facilitating and implementing direct investments, promoting and increasing exports, and improving the competitiveness of the Serbian economy, and enhancing the reputational, economic, and rural development of the Republic of Serbia. RAS has been providing bespoke services for companies considering investments in Serbia, such as Japanese companies Yazaki, Corporation, Toyo Tires, Mayekawa, HI-LEX, Japan Tobacco International, Kansai paint, and so forth.