Serbian Minister of Economy Nebojsa Ciric and Executive Director of Italian Benetton group Biagio Chiarolanza signed an agreement today on the acquisition of Nis-based Nitex textile company by that Italian group.

Mr. Chiarolanza said that Benetton would create a new center of the Serbian textile industry in Nis within the next few years.

- Benetton is going to build a complex of new plants in Nis, thus creating jobs for nearly 3,000 citizens of Nis - said Mr. Chiarolanza.

President of Benetton group Lucian Benetton said that that company planned to create between 2,800 and 3,000 new jobs and invest about EUR 50 million in the company.

The agreement was signed in presence of Serbian President Boris Tadic who assessed that textile workers in Serbia had a huge experience and that Serbia was the country where investors in the textile industry can make a significant profit.