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Serbia |
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ECONOMY |
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Serbia successfully implements interim trade agreement with EU
Belgrade, March 04, 2010 (Source: serbiangov.rs) – Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic stated at the first session of the Committee for Implementing the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade Related Issues with the EU that Serbia has been successfully implementing the agreement for 14 months.
Djelic, who chaired the first session together with Director for Western Balkans in the European Commission's Directorate General for Enlargement Pierre Mirel, said that this is a huge success for the Serbian government and Serbian citizens. He said that today Serbia has formally established the contractual-partner relation with the EU, adding that European and Serbian interests have been contemplated and compared for the first time at the session. The interests of Serbian producers will be protected from now on in the EU market in the same way in which European producers are protected in Serbia, Djelic said adding that the meeting also looked at trade with the EU and fulfilling tariff quotas for Serbian exports. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that Serbia exports 80% of its goods to the EU, while over 75% of imported goods in Serbia come from the EU. Even so, there was a fall of 25% in the trade volume with the EU in 2009, Djelic said adding that the crisis did not affect the agricultural sector, in which Serbia made a surplus. He also stressed that Serbia is the only country in central and south-eastern Europe to have attained a surplus in agricultural exchange with the EU in 2009, which doubled in comparison with 2008. The quota allocated for the export of baby beef from Serbia to the EU has not been fulfilled, since only 12% of the total approved amount was exported, while 8% of the quota was used for the export of wine and the export of fish was also below the quota. Djelic said that only export quotas of over 180,000 tonnes have been met for sugar. He said that it is not understandable that Serbia has the same quota for sugar exports as Croatia, since Croatia produces less sugar. The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister said that the citizens of Serbia seeking political asylum in EU countries will be returned to Serbia in accordance with the agreement on readmission, while the organizers of such transport will be punished. Djelic said that Serbia will not tolerate those who through their actions want to jeopardise the crucial freedom of all citizens of Serbia. He said that an attempt to abuse of the liberal laws of Belgium with regard to political asylum in no way implies the action of the state. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that Serbia was aware of the fact that the liberalisation of visa regime is not only a privilege but also an obligation. Mirel said that people who abuse the possibility to travel without visas hamper the reputation of Serbia, and reiterated that travel without visas does not imply a work permit. He said that there is a large number of people misusing this circumstance, which indicates that there is an organised group behind. Political asylum is sought by people who come from non-democratic countries and Serbia is a democratic country, concluded Mirel.
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Serbia, Algeria to improve economic cooperation Belgrade March 04, 2010 (Serbia Today) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic and Algerian Minister for Water Resources and Co-Chairperson of the joint committee for economic cooperation with Serbia Abdulmalek Sellal stated on Tuesday that Serbia and Algeria must improve economic cooperation. Dinkic, who is heading a Serbian delegation on a three day visit to Algeria, said during talks that cooperation should be restored to the level at which it was during the 1980s, when as a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Algeria was one of former Yugoslavia’s top economic partners. Speaking at a meeting, which was also attended by representatives of Algerian and Serbian businesses in the area of water resources, Dinkic stressed that the Serbian delegation’s visit is a great opportunity for Serbian companies to work in Algeria, which is one of the richest North African countries and is planning to start a $150 billion, four year, investment cycle. The Serbian delegation also includes Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Minister of Youth and Sports Snezana Samardzic-Markovic, who met today with their Algerian counterparts. During this visit, Dinkic will meet with Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, and he will also have separate meetings with five ministers and the governor. The Serbian business delegation is represented by some 60 representatives of leading Serbian companies. A business forum will be held tomorrow at which businessmen of the two countries will discuss future cooperation. The football national team of Serbia also arrived to Algeria together with the Serbian state delegation and they will play a friendly match with the Algerian national team tomorrow. |
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Employees of SIK Kopaonik get their first salaries after production recovery
Kursumlija, March 10, 2010 (Serbia Today) – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic said in Kursumlija today that €8 million will be invested in the Forestry and Industrial Complex (SIK) Kopaonik by autumn. At the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, the production in this company was restarted in February and thus 300 workers of the company got their first salaries after more than 20 months. By the end of March, this company will also receive a loan from the Development Fund, on the basis of a recently adopted programme of the Serbian government for production revival and employment in economically devastated areas of Serbia, the Minister said after visiting SIK Kopaonik.
He recalled that Kursumlija belongs to a group of 40 municipalities in Serbia whose level of development is approximately 50% of the republic’s average. The Ministry of Economy and Regional Development has earmarked €100 million for the promotion of balanced regional development through the revival of production and employment in the poorest municipalities in Serbia, he said. He said during his visit to Kursumlija that a great opportunity for the development of this part of Serbia lies in spa tourism, which is confirmed by resorts such as Prolom and Lukovska Banja which have great potential. However, Kursumlijska Banja has not been in operation for 15 years and a tender will be called to invite investors to cooperate with the state to revive it, said Dinkic.
The offer will include a debt write-off and the state will be a partner in the new company, while the renovation of the hotel will be the investor’s obligation, he explained. An agreement should also be reached with pension and disability insurance funds and trade unions which would use the services offered by the resort, he said. Since there are plans for beginning the construction of a motorway from Nis to Prokuplje next year and Djavolja Varos is a big tourist attraction, I think we must revive resorts and spas. The state will work on the infrastructure and provide personnel qualified for running resorts, he said. |