If there are no solutions for the issue made by the Macedonian Government two weeks ago by introducing non-tariff barriers for the export of flour from Serbia to Macedonia, Serbia will immediately start with countermeasures.
“There is nothing to achieve with non-tariff barriers. It everybody’s loss. Businessmen suffer, as well as our bilateral relations”, says Deputy Prime Minister Ljajić for the TANJUG.
He says that if they don’t make an agreement in tomorrow’s meeting in Skopje with the Minister of Agriculture of Macedonia Ljupčo Nikolovski, that would be the end of negotiations.
Right after that meeting, he says, Serbia will start to apply the prepared set of measures.
Mr Ljajić says that the situation is “rather simple” and it is the “millers’ lobby” in Macedonia which is to be blamed for the current Belgrade-Skopje situation.
“We have three big millers having a great influence on all governments in Macedonia, to put pressure on them to make there barriers introduced, as long as they don’t sell their own flour”, says minister, explaining that Macedonia definitely has to import flour from other countries since they don’t have enough flour production.
“We consult with the representatives of the Macedonian government and their Ministry of Agriculture on daily basis. If tomorrow in Skopje we fail to find the solution, we are going to start immediately with the application of countermeasures ready and announced to all the line services”, says Mr Ljajić.
To the question which measures will be introduced by Serbian side, Mr Ljajić says that first set of measures will be the photo sanitary and veterinary inspection of the goods coming from Macedonia.
“We have the right to do that in line with the rules of the World Trade Organisation, without violating the CEFTA Agreement”, minister made it precise.
Mr Ljajić reminds that the ban to flour import from Serbia is the 13th non-tariff barrier introduced by the Macedonians in the past eight years.
“We did nothing if next year we face a similar issue, since the Macedonian side was only creative in searching for the modality of the non-tariff barrier, and we want to ensure the seamless flow of goods in both directions, and increase the tr
