"CEFTA will ask for import limit to be removed"

BELGRADE The joint committee of CEFTA should make a formal request to Macedonia on Monday to revoke the regulation limiting the import of wheat and flour from Serbia. This is according to Serbia's State Secretary for Agriculture Danilo Golubovic, quoted by Tanjug. "CEFTA will ask for import limit to be removed" Serbia and Macedonia have already agreed for the part of the regulation referring to limits on wheat import to be revoked by August 15, and on flour by September 1, but Serbia wants it verified formally so there would be no misunderstandings, Golubovic told the news agency on Sunday. The Macedonian government decided in early July to tie the import of Serbian wheat and flour to purchases of domestic wheat and flour. The decision says Macedonian importers have to buy 3 kg of Macedonian wheat for each kg of wheat imported from other countries, including Serbia, and 4 kg of domestic wheat for a kg of imported flour. It is a unilateral move "that definitely violates the CEFTA agreement," Golubovic stated. Macedonia is Serbia's traditional trade partner, so Serbia wants those good relations to continue in both directions, he stressed. Only Moldova will not be present at the meeting on Monday, but it has sent a written notification that it believes Macedonia's decision is in breach of CEFTA and wants it revoked, Golubovic pointed out. Serbia has also received assurance that it would be agreed at the meeting that if a country implements the same kind of regulation and is in violation of CEFTA for more than a year, than the country targeted by that regulation can reciprocate immediately, without waiting for a meeting of the CEFTA committee, which provides additional relief, he said. Tanjug

"CEFTA will ask for import limit to be removed"

Serbia and Macedonia have already agreed for the part of the regulation referring to limits on wheat import to be revoked by August 15, and on flour by September 1, but Serbia wants it verified formally so there would be no misunderstandings, Golubović told the news agency on Sunday.

The Macedonian government decided in early July to tie the import of Serbian wheat and flour to purchases of domestic wheat and flour.

The decision says Macedonian importers have to buy 3 kg of Macedonian wheat for each kg of wheat imported from other countries, including Serbia, and 4 kg of domestic wheat for a kg of imported flour.

It is a unilateral move "that definitely violates the CEFTA agreement," Golubović stated.

Macedonia is Serbia's traditional trade partner, so Serbia wants those good relations to continue in both directions, he stressed.

Only Moldova will not be present at the meeting on Monday, but it has sent a written notification that it believes Macedonia's decision is in breach of CEFTA and wants it revoked, Golubović pointed out.

Serbia has also received assurance that it would be agreed at the meeting that if a country implements the same kind of regulation and is in violation of CEFTA for more than a year, than the country targeted by that regulation can reciprocate immediately, without waiting for a meeting of the CEFTA committee, which provides additional relief, he said.