Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic talked today with political and economic delegation of the Russian Federation on specific plans to increase the marketing of agricultural and food products from Serbia to Russia.

In a statement the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said that the Russian delegation is led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation Pavel Semenov and Director of the Department of Trade and Services of Moscow Alexei Nemeryuk.

Representatives of large chain stores and distribution centres in Russia have expressed great interest in food imports from Serbia, especially fruits, vegetables, wine, meat and dairy products, and the willingness to enter into business arrangements with producers from Serbia very soon.

To this end, it was agreed today that a delegation of large food producers from Serbia, led by Ljajic, visits Moscow in June to meet with representatives of major Russian retail chains.

The Russian businessmen have expressed their willingness to help the Serbian exporters to open a large distribution centre in Moscow.

This, together with the intensification of business contacts, could contribute to the volume of trade in agricultural and food products between Serbia and Russia, which could be doubled, i.e., it could reach the level of $500 million annually.