Serbia is not joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as assumed by the local and regional media these days, but will only sign a free trade agreement (with Armenia and Kyrgyzstan) equal to those with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, or with Turkey and CEFTA states, says Rasim Ljajic, Minister of Commerce, Tourism and Telecommunications.
“No policy, just trade. The Eurasian Union has decided to unify all the free trade agreements it previously had signed with third countries,” said Ljajic for the Politika daily.
The Eurasian Union has expanded to include Armenia and Kyrgyzstan and has therefore decided to conclude free trade agreements with third countries, including Serbia.
“If Serbia decides that it does not want to sign the treaty, our free trade agreement with Russia will be called into question. This agreement is not only signed by Serbia, but also by all the other countries that have had free trade agreements with the members of the EAEU”, explains Ljajic.
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The Minister added that when Serbia joins the common market and the EU, it will terminate that trade agreement, as well as all other existing free trade agreements, and those concluded in the meantime.
Serbia is expected to sign an agreement with the Eurasian Union on 25th October and this agreement will replace all the existing ones. The new agreement will stipulate a longer list of products, including cheese, alcohol and cigarettes, which Serbia can export to the EAEU countries duty-free.
The new free trade agreement will facilitate for Serbia access to a market of 180 million people, and countries whose total gross domestic product exceeds 1.9 billion dollars.
(RTV, 24.09.2019)
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