BELGRADE, 19 April (BelTA) – Belarus and Serbia have increased their mutual trade almost five times thanks to a free trade agreement signed seven years ago, Belarusian Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Vladimir Koltovich said at the 10th meeting of the intergovernmental Belarus-Serbia commission on trade and economic cooperation in Belgrade on 19 April, BelTA has learned.
Amid current conditions of modern development, international cooperation and expansion of economic cooperation with foreign partners acquire special significance for Belarus. “Serbia occupies a special position among Belarus’ trade and economic partners. It is the only non-former-Soviet country with which Belarus has a free trade agreement. Over the past seven years Belarus-Serbia trade has increased almost five times,” said Vladimir Koltovich. He, however, took note of a slight decline in mutual trade last year and expressed confidence that this decrease will be rectified next year.
The minister emphasized the importance of the visit of the Serbian prime minister to Minsk in January 2017, during which the two countries signed a cooperation roadmap for the next two years.
Vladimir Koltovich stressed that Belarus is aimed at the maximal fulfillment of the economaic potential, which meets the interests of the two countries.