Balkan Business Brief

The famous fast-food brand coming to Montenegro

Are you a fan of fast food and good burgers? If you live in Montenegro, there is good news!

The Famous American fast-food chain - Burger King has announced its arrival in Montenegro through the consulting company Colliers International. The exact date of opening and place of the restaurant is still unknown, but it will happen soon and it will be somewhere in the capital city – Podgorica. The “Home of the Whopper” will probably open its door by the end of this year or beginning of next year and guests will have opportunity to enjoy its famous classic Whopper.

Air Serbia and Turkish Airlines expand cooperation

Who doesn’t love to travel? Here is good news. Air Serbia and Turkish Airlines are expanding their partnership in aim to offer more flights between Turkey and Serbia. The two companies will increase the number of flights between Belgrade and Istanbul and between Ankara and Belgrade as well as starting a new regular service between Izmir and Belgrade. The cooperation has been expanded due to increased demand of passengers between Belgrade and Istanbul in the last three quarters and an aspiration for better connectivity between the two countries and their networks.

Balkan countries - a magnet for IT companies and professionals from Russia and Ukraine

What do you think will be the impact on the economy and the IT sector if, within one year, you double the number of IT companies?

This is exactly the situation that characterizes the markets of Serbia and Montenegro. The situation on the territory of Ukraine has caused their citizens to look for a home and the opportunity to do business in other countries. According to available data, it is known that 229 IT companies were opened by Russian citizens, and 104 by Ukrainian citizens in Montenegro. It is known that around 1,500 companies from the IT sector have been opened in Serbia. In addition to new company openings, many companies have relocated their operations and employees to another country. According to the available data, about 700 companies from Russia have opened a representative office in Serbia. Some of the largest technology companies from Russia, such as Yandex, Luxoft and Wargaming, have transferred their employees and families.??

It is clear that the opening of new companies in the fast-growing sector has a positive impact on GDP and state revenues, but the question arises whether the rapid growth of the number of companies can cause some disruptions in the IT market across the region.

Mtel enters the North Macedonian Market

What is your favourite mobile operator and why did you choose it?

The citizens of Northern Macedonia have got another mobile operator and a new range of services in the field of telecommunications. Mtel, a member of the Telekom Serbia group, which has expanded its operations to the area of North Macedonia. The company also announced new investments, expansion of the partner network, creation of jobs and the aspiration to be the initiator of the local digital transformation of the market.