TRADE: SERBIA AIMS TO DEVELOP LINKS WITH SOUTHERN ITALY



(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, JANUARY 30 - Serbia intends to develop trade and cooperation with businesses and production in southern Italy, says the Serbian Trade Minister Slobodan Milosavljevic. The minister was attending the general assembly of members of the Italo-Serbian Chamber of Commerce which took place over the last few days, and at which he was elected honorary president of the organisation.

"Serbia is interested in working with all of Italy. So far, those who have seemed most active are northern Italian businesspeople, and now we intend to develop contacts with southern businesses as well", said Milosavljevic. The trade minister defined the business ties between Serbia and southern Italy as "unsatisfactory" and invited southern industrialists and businesspeople to forge contacts with Serbian counterparts.

Amongst the most promising sectors for cooperation, Milosavljevic listed agriculture, textiles, animal skins, and wooden furniture. The minister also emphasised the advantages that Serbia offers as a springboard into the Russian market, as it is the only country in Europe to have a free trade agreement with the Russian Federation, so that goods can be exported without paying tariffs. Identical free trade agreements are being put together with Belarus, Ukraine and Turkey, noted the trade minister, which would allow almost immediate access, through Serbia, to a potential market of 200-300 million consumers.

Italian products are highly sought after in Russia and other ex-Soviet Union countries, such as Serbia. Milosavljevi noted that the design and high quality of Italian products are known the world over. Vincenzo Divella, the president of the Italo-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, has also said that he is in favour of a greater presence of southern Italian businesses in Serbia. Divella said that "trade, tourism, agriculture and also clothes and crafts are the most promising sectors".(ANSAmed).

2009-01-30 14:36



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SERBIA: TALKS ON FREE TRADE WITH TURKEY, UKRAINE, IRAN

(ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, MARCH 2 - State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Regional development Vesna Arsic stated that a second round of talks on free trade agreement between Serbia and Turkey are under way and that talks with Iran and Ukraine are started to begin this year, reports Tanjug news agency. She recalled that an extended agreement on free trade is expected to be signed with the Russian Federation in March. According to Arsic, lists of commodities that will be on a liberal regime and lists of commodities that will have a certain degree of protection are being defined in the talks with Turkey. "Our stand is to get from the Turkish side what we have got from the European Union, which is a duty free access of our industrial products to the Turkish market and to abolish duties on Turkish products gradually over a period of six months," Arsic said at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. According to her, in regards to agricultural products, quotas for duty free entrance for both countries are being established. Arsic underscored that during the recent visit by a Serbian delegation to Iran, it was agreed to start negotiations on free trade with Iran in April, while the beginning of talks with Ukraine is expected in the second half of this year, after the Ukraine elections.(ANSAmed)
2009-03-02 15:55

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Desireé Noferini, Chiara Chiti and Nadir Caselli