An opening ceremony was also attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said he was proud "a fantastic chocolate factory" had been opened in the city.

The head of the Vojvodina provincial government Igor Mirovic, Novi Sad Mayor Milos Vucevic and the plant's management were also in attendance.

In a post on his official Instagram account, Mirovic said nearly 100 people were already working at the factory, and noted that Barry Callebaut had a 25 pct share of the global chocolate market.

The construction of the Novi Sad plant began in March 2020.

The factory, whose workforce will grow to over 100, is expected to produce 50,000 t of chocolate a year. ■