Ansamed

(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, JULY 27 - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) lowered the estimated growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Serbia in the 2010 by 0.2 percentage points, and expects the growth to be 1.9%, reports BETA news agency.

As stated in the July assessment of the status of economies in the EBRD countries, Serbia will have the highest economic growth in the Western Balkans in 2010, thanks to investments in infrastructure and growing metal prices, which helps key industrial sectors.

The estimated GDP growth of Serbia in 2011 was also reduced from the expected 3.2% in the May report to three percent in the July assessment.

The estimated economic growth in 28 transition countries of Europe and Asia was also decreased by 0.2 percentage points, so that in 2010 the expected growth is 3.5% instead of the previously forecasted 3.7%, it was said in the report drawn up by EBRD chief economist's office.

It is underscored that the weakening of economic prospects is a consequence of the situation in South Eastern Europe, where recession is retained, except in Turkey.

The EBRD estimates that a decline of 1.5%, instead of the expected GDP growth of 0.3%, will be recorded in the region of South Eastern Europe, which includes Serbia, Romania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, in 2010.(ANSAmed).