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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina sign veterinary cooperation agreement

Belgrade, 1 November 2010

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Sasa Dragin and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia-Herzegovina Mladen Zirojevic signed today the Agreement on veterinary cooperation, which will help improve economic relations between the two countries.

A statement by the Ministry of Agriculture reads that the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of Serbia's most important foreign trade partners and that the agreement signed gives the legal framework for cooperation in the field of veterinary medicine.

Dragin explained that it was necessary that Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina sign this agreement in order to remove non-customs barriers, especially for foodstuffs of animal origin.

He specified that this agreement creates conditions for easier and greater trade of foodstuffs of animal origin and improvement of relations between countries members of CEFTA Agreement.

The Minister noted that an analysis of market in Bosnia-Herzegovina showed that the amount and range of goods imported from Serbia have increased in recent years, but that is still little in relation to possibilities and demand.

Dragin said that an EU inspection team evaluated that Serbia has made an exquisite progress in the harmonisation of regulations related to control of infectious animal diseases, food safety and animal welfare. The team also concluded that the network of veterinary laboratories in Serbia is well established and that laboratory methods are conducted as prescribed by the EU.

The report of the Russian inspection team is almost identical, Dragin underlined, and it is expected to boost Serbia’s export of foodstuffs of animal origin to Russia and the EU.

This agreement binds both parties to facilitate trade in animals and foodstuffs of animal origin and to disable bringing of infectious diseases and products of animal origin that are harmful to health, reads the statement.