On September 3, Chen Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin Mining Group, met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Beijing. The meeting marked seven years since Zijin expanded its operations into Serbia. Both leaders discussed the achievements of their partnership and explored future areas for collaboration within the mining sector.
During the discussion, Chairman Chen highlighted the progress made since signing an investment agreement with Serbia in Beijing seven years ago. He credited the Serbian government and various sectors of society for supporting Zijin’s projects in Serbia. According to Chen, these projects have produced strong operational results and surpassed initial investment and social contribution commitments.
Chen stated that Zijin’s subsidiaries in Serbia are entering a new stage of development. “Underpinned by a consistent commitment to high-standard ESG practices, the company will advance green and efficient mining by leveraging advanced technology and effective operational management, thereby unlocking greater value for the Serbian government and people,” said Chen.
President Vučić recognized Zijin as a world-class mining company that has contributed to revitalizing Serbia’s mining industry through significant investments and project operations. “Zijin has driven the recovery and upgrading of Serbia’s mining industry by investing in and operating large projects and has become a key pillar for sustained economic growth in eastern Serbia and the nation as a whole,” said Vučić. He added that Serbia considers Zijin one of its most important partners, expressing interest in expanding cooperation across mineral exploration, extraction, smelting, trading, sales, and environmental protection. The president also voiced hopes that Zijin would increase job creation within Serbia. “The Serbian government takes Zijin’s expectations seriously and will strengthen its support so that the company achieves faster and stronger growth,” he said.
Other attendees included Tomislav Nikolić (former president of Serbia), Jagoda Lazarević (Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade), Nenad Popović (Minister overseeing Innovation and Technological Development), Maja Stefanović (Serbian Ambassador to China), Nenad Miloradović (Assistant Minister of Defense), Pavle Bašić (Special Envoy of the President), Li Ming (Chinese Ambassador to Serbia), Wang Chun (Vice President of Zijin Mining), along with heads from Zijin’s Serbian operations.
