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Improvement of system of protected designation of origin for Serbian products
Belgrade,
22 February 2010
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic and State Secretary of the Swiss Foreign Ministry Michael Ambuhl signed a Memorandum of understanding today which will enable Serbia to improve the system of protected designation of origin for its products.
Djelic said at a press conference after signing the Memorandum that the document aims to improve the economic and trade system in Serbia through realisation of the Project of technical assistance to Serbia in the field of intellectual property, worth 780,000 Swiss francs.
The implementation of the project, which is financed by the Swiss government, started in December 2009, Djelic said and added that Switzerland has great experience in the protection of designation of origin of its goods, adding that Serbia has great potential in this field which is not used enough.
Serbia should protect the designation of origin for its brands such as plum brandy Sljivovica, caciocavallo cheese from Pirot, cheese from Sjenica, kaymak from Uzice and Kraljevo, prosciutto from Uzice, Srem sausage, vine from Vrsac and others.
Djelic said that this project will give great support to Serbia’s plan to become a member of the European Patent Office. In this way Serbia will be promoted as a country producing not only raw materials, but finished products as well.
He said that Switzerland gave 300 million Swiss francs in donations to Serbia over the past ten years, which makes it one of the leading donors to Serbia, and in 2009, with $55 million, it ranked fifth in the amount of foreign direct investments to Serbia. As chief of Serbia’s constituency at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Switzerland not only defended Serbia’s interests in 2000 and 2001, but also provided funds for Serbia to regain its full membership in these international institutions, Djelic said.
Ambuhl said that the signing of this Memorandum represents a turning point in the bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland, with both countries belonging to the same constituency within the International Monetary Fund.
Our aim is to support Serbia in its efforts to join the EU and this is why we developed a strategy of assistance for the period 2010-2012, Ambuhl said and added that this entails cooperation between Belgrade and Bern in the field of economy, energy and education.
He explained that implementation of the system of protected designation of origin will not only place tasty Serbian products like kaymak on the European market, but it will also contribute to Serbia’s quicker accession into the World Trade Organisation.
The signing of the Memorandum was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Belgrade Erwin Hofer and Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property Branka Totic.
The implementation of the project, which is financed by the Swiss government, started in December 2009, Djelic said and added that Switzerland has great experience in the protection of designation of origin of its goods, adding that Serbia has great potential in this field which is not used enough.
Serbia should protect the designation of origin for its brands such as plum brandy Sljivovica, caciocavallo cheese from Pirot, cheese from Sjenica, kaymak from Uzice and Kraljevo, prosciutto from Uzice, Srem sausage, vine from Vrsac and others.
Djelic said that this project will give great support to Serbia’s plan to become a member of the European Patent Office. In this way Serbia will be promoted as a country producing not only raw materials, but finished products as well.
He said that Switzerland gave 300 million Swiss francs in donations to Serbia over the past ten years, which makes it one of the leading donors to Serbia, and in 2009, with $55 million, it ranked fifth in the amount of foreign direct investments to Serbia. As chief of Serbia’s constituency at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Switzerland not only defended Serbia’s interests in 2000 and 2001, but also provided funds for Serbia to regain its full membership in these international institutions, Djelic said.
Ambuhl said that the signing of this Memorandum represents a turning point in the bilateral relations between Serbia and Switzerland, with both countries belonging to the same constituency within the International Monetary Fund.
Our aim is to support Serbia in its efforts to join the EU and this is why we developed a strategy of assistance for the period 2010-2012, Ambuhl said and added that this entails cooperation between Belgrade and Bern in the field of economy, energy and education.
He explained that implementation of the system of protected designation of origin will not only place tasty Serbian products like kaymak on the European market, but it will also contribute to Serbia’s quicker accession into the World Trade Organisation.
The signing of the Memorandum was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Belgrade Erwin Hofer and Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property Branka Totic.
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