Adria Future Summit has confirmed that John Jovanović, President and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), will be one of the keynote speakers at the 2026 summit, bringing the full significance of US institutional capital and strategic intent to the region’s leading investment forum.
The participation of President Jovanović signals the strong and growing commitment of the United States of America to support economic development, energy security and infrastructure modernization of the Western Balkans. As the official export credit agency of the US government, EXIM Bank plays a key role in facilitating international trade and unlocking capital for major strategic projects. His address at the Summit will address how Washington sees the region’s strategic importance, as well as how EXIM’s financial instruments, including direct loans and guarantees, can de-risk large investments in next-generation energy, LNG and digital infrastructure.
Jovanovic’s participation comes at a crucial moment for Montenegro and the wider Adriatic region. Positioned as Europe’s southern border, the region is accelerating integration into the European Union, while simultaneously seeking to attract global capital to leapfrog aging infrastructure and build next-generation energy and digital systems.
“It is a great honor for us to host President Jovanovic at the Adria Future Summit,” said Biljana Braithwaite, director and founder of the Adria Future Summit. “The presence of the leadership of the American EXIM Bank at the Summit emphasizes the geopolitical and economic weight of this moment for the region. It sends a clear message to the global investment community: the Western Balkans is open for business, supported by serious institutional capital, and ready to implement strategic projects in the field of infrastructure and energy transition.”
Relying on his rich experience in the private sector of energy investments and his previous position as regional director for the Western Balkans at the American International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), President Jovanović will also talk about the practical aspects of project implementation. His insights will focus on what governments must do to unlock American private investment at scale, moving from memorandums of understanding to concrete implementation.