"Plenty of room for better economic cooperation"

BELGRADE Serbia and Belarus will invest serious efforts to strengthen their relations, and there is plenty of room to improve the economic cooperation. This was heard on Thursday in Belgrade from Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic and his counterpart from Belarus Vladimir Makei. "Plenty of room for better economic cooperation" "The frequency of the meetings between Serbian and Belarusian officials speaks of their intentions to have closer relations and share good and evil, like it used to be through history," Mrkic told a joint news conference after the meeting. Serbia appreciates that Belarus respects its territorial integrity and sovereignty, said Mrkic. Belarus does not recognize Kosovo. "The cooperation between the two countries is becoming better in terms of results," Makei stated. Belarus sees Serbia as its strategic partner in the Balkans, he noted. The discussion with Mrkic referred to the roadmap of future cooperation, he said, stressing it was very important to move from the trade stage to the level of joint companies, which would mean more jobs for Serbia and provide incentives for the economy. This was the two officials’ third meeting and the first official visit from a Belarusian foreign minister in 19 years. Makei is on a two-day visit to Serbia, where he will also meet Serbian businesspeople and attend the opening of an honorary consulate in Novi Sad. (Tanjug) "Work on economic recovery" Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic stated on Thursday that in the coming period Serbia will work on the recovery of its economy since that is the only way to ensure better living conditions for the citizens, and Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei stated that Belarus companies are interested in the Serbian market. The meeting concluded that the two countries' trade, which currently amounts to EUR 150 million annually, is very modest and that there are real opportunities to increase it in the beginning by half a billion euros but not only through exchange of goods. The first concrete example is the partnership that has been initiated between Belarus company Amkodor and Trstenik-based Prva Petoletka, central Serbia. Moreover, for the sake of easier communication it was agreed to introduce a Belgrade-Minsk flight, the president's press service said. “We have renewed the old friendships which were unnecessarily neglected over the previous years, and now Serbia has again become a country which offers perspective to everyone interested in the joint appearance in the third markets,” the president underlined during the talks with Makei. Nikolic expressed desire for Serbia to advance its cooperation with Belarus, adding that he is satisfied that at a recent meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko it was noticed that the positions of Serbia and Belarus are identical in this respect. Makei conveyed the Belarus president's greetings to Nikolic, adding that it is particularly important for Serbia and Belarus to actively develop joint production projects, stressing that Belarus companies are interested in the Serbian market, just as Serbian companies are interested in the Belarus market. Speaking about the Kosovo-Metohija problem, it was underlined that Belarus will not change its stance on non-recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence of the southern province, and the Belarus guests offered support to Serbia regarding this issue at international forums and organizations. Makei is on a two-day visit to Serbia, during which he has met with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic, and he is scheduled to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Parliament Speaker Nebojsa Stefanovic. This is the first visit by a Belarus foreign minister to Serbia in the last 19 years. (Tanjug) Tanjug

"Plenty of room for better economic cooperation"

"The frequency of the meetings between Serbian and Belarusian officials speaks of their intentions to have closer relations and share good and evil, like it used to be through history," Mrkić told a joint news conference after the meeting.

Serbia appreciates that Belarus respects its territorial integrity and sovereignty, said Mrkić. Belarus does not recognize Kosovo.

"The cooperation between the two countries is becoming better in terms of results," Makei stated.

Belarus sees Serbia as its strategic partner in the Balkans, he noted.

The discussion with Mrkić referred to the roadmap of future cooperation, he said, stressing it was very important to move from the trade stage to the level of joint companies, which would mean more jobs for Serbia and provide incentives for the economy.

This was the two officials’ third meeting and the first official visit from a Belarusian foreign minister in 19 years.

Makei is on a two-day visit to Serbia, where he will also meet Serbian businesspeople and attend the opening of an honorary consulate in Novi Sad.

"Work on economic recovery"

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić stated on Thursday that in the coming period Serbia will work on the recovery of its economy since that is the only way to ensure better living conditions for the citizens, and Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei stated that Belarus companies are interested in the Serbian market.

The meeting concluded that the two countries' trade, which currently amounts to EUR 150 million annually, is very modest and that there are real opportunities to increase it in the beginning by half a billion euros but not only through exchange of goods.

The first concrete example is the partnership that has been initiated between Belarus company Amkodor and Trstenik-based Prva Petoletka, central Serbia.

Moreover, for the sake of easier communication it was agreed to introduce a Belgrade-Minsk flight, the president's press service said.

“We have renewed the old friendships which were unnecessarily neglected over the previous years, and now Serbia has again become a country which offers perspective to everyone interested in the joint appearance in the third markets,” the president underlined during the talks with Makei.

Nikolić expressed desire for Serbia to advance its cooperation with Belarus, adding that he is satisfied that at a recent meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko it was noticed that the positions of Serbia and Belarus are identical in this respect.

Makei conveyed the Belarus president's greetings to Nikolić, adding that it is particularly important for Serbia and Belarus to actively develop joint production projects, stressing that Belarus companies are interested in the Serbian market, just as Serbian companies are interested in the Belarus market.

Speaking about the Kosovo-Metohija problem, it was underlined that Belarus will not change its stance on non-recognition of the unilateral declaration of independence of the southern province, and the Belarus guests offered support to Serbia regarding this issue at international forums and organizations.

Makei is on a two-day visit to Serbia, during which he has met with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić, and he is scheduled to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and Parliament Speaker Nebojša Stefanović.

This is the first visit by a Belarus foreign minister to Serbia in the last 19 years.