Vucic in Beijing: Free Trade Deal with China in Force by June

Aleksandar Vucic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in Beijing, at the beginning of his visit to China, that the two countries' free trade agreement would come into force by May or June 2024, and stressed its importance to the Serbian economy.

Vucic, who is spearheading a large Serbian delegation in China, told Serbian media outlets that the deal, slated to be signed on Oct. 17 in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, would cover 10,412 products on the Serbian side and 8,930 on the Chinese side.

The items the document will do away with customs tariffs on include Serbian apples, plums, peaches, soy oil, frozen raspberries, water, beer, almost all pharmaceuticals and industrial products, while customs on wine and raki will be phased out.

Vucic said the free trade agreement with China was "a great thing that will help Serbia import raw materials at considerably lower tariffs" and pointed out that this was "especially important for Serbian steel mills and mines."

Many members of the Serbian cabinet have accompanied Vucic to China -- Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic, Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Goran Vesic, Trade Minister Tomislav Momirovic, Culture Minister Maja Gojkovic, Agriculture Minister Jelena Tanaskovic, Information Minister Mihailo Jovanovic and Telekom Srbija director Vladimir Lucic. They are scheduled to take part in the third Belt and Road international cooperation forum.

Vucic touched on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, reiterating that it was important to resume it even though Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti "doesn't want to." He further stressed that he would always support any decision by Serbs in Kosovo, "even when it is not in their or our collective interest."