Sandwell Mayor, Cllr Pauline Hinton today officially welcomed Serbian Ambassador Dr Dejan Popovic to the borough, when he came as part of a delegation to explore the economic potentials of the region.

The visit was arranged by Peter Matthews, Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership Lead Member for International Trade.

The Ambassador and First Counsellor for Economic Affairs Sasa Uzelac, were exploring the economic potentials of the region and the potential for bi-lateral economic co-operation with Serbia, with a focus on the automotive and aerospace sector.

They attended the quarterly meeting of Black Country Chief executives at Sandwell Council.

Trade between the UK and Serbia amounted to more than $245 billion in 2004.

Cllr Hinton said: “I was absolutely delighted that the ambassador and his delegation visited the Black Country and in particular Sandwell.

“Hopefully, it will result in extra business coming to the area.”