March 6 (SeeNews) - Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said that he asked the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to consider the option of state-owned flag carrier Qatar Airways acquiring a stake in its peer company Air Serbia and becoming its strategic partner.
“It [Air Serbia] has a clean balance sheet, but we want to avoid future risks,” Vucic told journalists, as seen in a video posted on his YouTube channel last week. "I have asked the Emir of Qatar [...] to see whether they are interested in becoming our strategic partner. This would be an extremely important investment for us."
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In January, Air Serbia entered into a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways.
Serbia's government owns 83.57% of Air Serbia. Etihad Airways holds the remaining 16.4%, having reduced its stake from 49% over the last three years, according to data from the central securities and clearing house.