Macedonia will continue importing Serbian flour, and Serbia won’t take countermeasures, as agreed today by both sides, and confirmed to Tanjug by Minister of Trade Rasim Ljajić.

After the meeting with the Macedonian delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture in Skopje, Mr Ljajić has said early today that 10 conclusions have been signed regarding the trade relations of Serbia and Macedonia, and a joint Committee has been formed for resolving non-tariff barriers.

“We have signed ten conclusions regarding the trade relations of the two countries. We have formed a joint Committee for resolving non-tariff barriers”, says Mr Ljajić, adding that it practically means that there will be no hold for Serbian goods at the borders.

The agreement was made in Macedonia and it was accepted by our millers.

Minister has stated that the first session of the joint Serbian-Macedonian Committee should be held in Belgrade on March 14, and that a long-term sustainable solution for elimination of all non-tariff barriers and increase of trade exchange of the two countries could be identified.

He says that it would be quite inappropriate to start a trade war with Macedonia when we are having a joint session of two governments on March 21 in Niš.

Ministries from Serbia and Macedonia have asked to resolve the issue of sticking the excise stamps on the flour packages since, as it is done manually, it increases the production price.

Mr Ljajić explains that one of the results achieved in today’s talks is the compromise to have the flour packages of one, two and 5 kilograms labelled with the stamps in Serbia as it has been the practice so far, and that for packages of 25 and 50 kilograms, the excise stamps are stuck in Macedonia.

“In the next 30 days a permanent and systemic solution for this concrete issue will be found. Today we have made an important step and the agreement was accepted by our miller exporters”, says Mr Ljajić.

He has stated that there is a willingness on both sides to avoid such situations in the future, since, the goal of Serbia is first of all to increase the trade exchange up to one billion euros, which, as he underlines, cannot be achieved if barriers are introduced.

Below, there is the document signed in Skopje:

On March 7, 2018, in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, on the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy, a meeting was held between the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Economy of the Republic of Macedonia Ljupče Nikolovski and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and Minister of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić.

In line with the discussions held, and the issues presented by the cabinets and experts, the delegation has adopted the following:

C O N C L U S I O N S

1. Control stamps type A used for flour packages of 1, 2 and 5 kilograms, will be applied at the flour manufacturers/exporters.

2. Stamps type B used for flour packages of 25 and 50 kilograms, the control stamps will be applied in the Republic of Macedonia.

3. A Committee will be formed comprised of the competent institutions of the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia. The first session of the Committee will be held on March 14, 2018 in Belgrade.

4. Within 30 days the Committee will propose a systemic and permanent solution of the issue in the mutual trade in flour, in order to avoid such situations in the future.

5. Within 30 days from the day it is founded the Committee will note all open questions and propose solutions for the elimination of all barriers and obstacles in mutual trade.

6. In terms of control stamps the Committee will, within the defined period of time, analyse the justification of introduction stamps and if there is a consent of the chambers of commerce of both countries, there will be works on their entire abolition.

7. Signatory countries agree to increase the control through the competent institutions in both countries, in order to curb illegal economies and trade in agricultural and food products.

8. The two signatory countries are obliged to full respect the mutual bilateral agreements on phytosanitary cooperation and cooperation in the field of food safety and veterinary medicine, signed in 2012.

9. Signatory countries are obliged not to apply any barriers in mutual trade in agricultural and food products in the future, and to work on accelerating and facilitating the procedures at border crossings, in order to prevent long holds and ensure a fast flow of goods, which is in the spirit of the Berlin process and creation of a joint economic area.

10. Committee will have sessions at least once in three months, with the aim to monitor the achieved results, and to prevent new occurrence of non-tariff barriers and obstacles to a free flow of goods and services.