Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić stated today that Croatia’s unilateral decision to ban freight traffic with Serbia is a brutal violation of free trade principles. Ljajić pointed out that Croatia’s barrier to freight traffic causes major losses to both sides, but to other European countries as well, adding that he expects the European Commission to react.

Ljajić said that it is a brutal violation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, adding that Serbia sent a letter on this matter to EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, who is expected to visit Belgrade on Friday, and that Serbia’s Ambassador to Brussels is expected to discuss the matter with European officials today.

Ljajić told the Belgrade-based TV Pink that he spoke with Croatia’s Ambassador to Serbia, noting that it would be better to avoid Serbia’s countermeasures to the blockade.

The Serbian minister specified that according to the data of the border police, the vehicle convoy at the border is currently 12 kilometers long, and that the volume of trade with Croatia reached EUR 757 million in 2014.

Ljajić noted that Croatia’s decision to ban freight traffic with Serbia is unreasonable, and does not contribute to the relations between the two countries or to the overall regional stability.
Ljajić pointed out that the refugee crisis has nothing to do with freight traffic, and that even countries that are at war do not prohibit mutual trade.

More than 200 Croatian companies are operating in Serbia, and the country is Serbia’s tenth-largest trading partner, said Ljajić, noting that Croatia exports more goods to Serbia than the other way round.