History of the development of ACI Serbia: On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its establishment (1975-2025)

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of ACI Serbia, and as a retrospective of the history of the development of this professional association of foreign exchange dealers, empirical and desktop research was carried out on the origin, nature and activities of this association that carries great importance for the banking sector of Serbia. The professional organization of foreign exchange dealers in banks, carriers of complex and important banking operations, was founded in 1975, i.e. just two years after the formation of the foreign exchange market in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), which began its work in 1973 within the Association of Banks of Yugoslavia, in accordance with the current statute of the International Association of Brokers (ACI Forex Club) – that specified two years of experience for foreign exchange dealers on the foreign exchange market. Adapting to the significant changes that took place in the country, society and the economy during the five decades of its existence, this association changed its name (from the Yugoslav Forex club in 1975 to ACI Serbia today), visual identity, and membership profile, while continuously maintaining the same mission and vision: improving the work and professional capacity of its members, as well as segments of the financial market in the country. This paper aims to be a tribute to this significant jubilee of ACI Serbia, as previous important ACI anniversaries also found their place on the pages of Bankarstvo Journal. Analysing in detail the history of the development of this association since its foundation, the paper analyses and expands the context of the monetary and national economy through the activities that preceded the foundation of the association in the Yugoslav framework, its membership in the international association, the continuous activity over the decades, which is reflected, among other things, in the regularity of holding assemblies and the work of its management. Due to significant changes in the region, special attention was paid to key events and activities during this period, which was divided into several stages.