Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

CEFTA agreement to boost Serbian economy

Belgrade/Bucharest, 19 December 2006

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica stated in Bucharest today that the signing of the new CEFTA agreement is a huge step towards the expansion of cooperation in the region which will also help boost Serbia's economy.

Author: Tanjug

In a statement to the press following the signing of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), Kostunica stressed that the Serbian economy, which is already on the rise, will become even stronger thanks to this agreement. He also added that Serbia will increase the percentage of the products it exports in the EU, which currently stands at 32%.

He said that by signing the CEFTA agreement, Southeast European countries have accepted the rules imposed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) adding that the signing of the agreement is a precondition for EU entry.

Kostunica recalled that Serbia is yet to sign another consequential document, namely the Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of a gas pipeline through Serbia which representatives of Serbian and Russian resource ministries will sign tomorrow in Moscow.

Serbia is the only country in the region that has signed the free trade agreement with Russia, though Russia has not yet ratified it, said the Prime Minister adding that he expects the Russian Duma to ratify it early next year.

Speaking about the talks on the future status of Kosovo-Metohija, Kostunica said that Serbia is devoted to the respect of the principles of the UN Charter, namely the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, as well as to the Serbian Constitution.

Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic, who signed the CEFTA agreement on behalf of Serbia, said that the document is an important step towards Serbia's EU accession process.

He explained that the agreement concerns the free trade zone which was established in Southeast Europe through a multilateral contract. Parivodic voiced hope that CEFTA will stimulate competition in the region, provide Serbia with a larger market for its products and attract foreign investors.