Serbia is not joining EAEU; no one invites us, Trade Minister says

NEWS 28.10.201920:37
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Rasim Ljajic, Serbia’s Trade Minister said on Monday his country was not entering the Euro-Asian Economic Union (EAEU), adding an agreement concerned only trade and that “there is no politics in it,” the Beta news agency reported.

Speaking to the state RTV from the northern city of Novi Sad, Ljajic said that “no one invited us there.” “Not a word in the negotiations on that agreement was about politics. We’re not joining the EAEU; no one invited us. The European Union is our political priority,” he said, adding that 65 percent of Serbia’s trade was with the bloc, while with EAEU it was only 7-8 percent.

Ljajic described criticism of the agreement as “colossal ignorance or immensely malicious.”  

“I read in the press today that we entered the EAEU, meaning we gave up the EU. This agreement protects 743 companies which export to the Russian market and which now can place their products in other Union’s markets,” Ljajic said.

He said Serbia’s most significant economic interest in the deal was that the country would still have a free trade agreement under which Serbia exported 99 percent of goods to Russia and would now be able to do in the EAEU markets with no customs duties.

Ljajic added the agreement was suitable for foreign investors as well, adding the current free trade contracts with Russia and Turkey proved that.

“Out of the ten largest exporters to the Russian markets, eight or nine are companies owned by foreign investors like Tigar Tyres, Tetrapak, Hemofarm…”