Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunication, Rasim Ljajić has said early today that the decision of the Macedonian Ministry of Agriculture, according to which the price of phytosanitary certificates for import of wheat to that country was increased by 833 per cent, stands as a continuation of a bad practice of the Government of Macedonia to impose the non-tariff barriers at this time every year.

“The non-tariff barriers of the Macedonian side have different form every year, but the idea always remains the same – to prevent free trade and limit the import of wheat and flour from Serbia to Macedonia. In that manner the principle of free movement of goods and services is violated”, as underlined by Mr Ljajić.

Even though the increase of the phytosanitary certificate does not formally refer only to the Serbian exporters, Mr Ljajić has said that it is more than clear that this decision is directed towards Serbian enterprises, which are traditionally the largest exporters of wheat to Macedonia at this period of a year.

Mr Ljajić has said that the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunication will write to the Secretariat of the CEFTA with the request to immediately schedule a session of the joint CEFTA committee, to discuss this issue, but at the same time Serbia is considering the implementation of the reciprocal measure against Macedonia, “since the same thing keeps occurring”.

“We are aware that the reciprocal measures are not a long-term nor best solution, but at this moment for us they are a forced step and our professional services are considering which Macedonian products those measures could refer to.

This is why we invite the officials of the Macedonian Government to sit down and discuss this issue together, and make a permanent solution, before the issue escalates and impairs the trade between the two countries”, concluded Mr Ljajić.