Central European Free Trade Agreement

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Tomislav Momirovic said on Tuesday regional economic integration was one of his government's main goals and added that CEFTA states were Serbia's top external trade partners behind the EU.

Vui said that he was convinced that it was the best initiative in the last few decades. He also mentioned that he does not want to deal with the issue who wants to join or not, and that it is a decision he leaves to others.

Montenegrin PM Zdravko Krivokapic (right), Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (centre) and Albanian PM Edi Rama (left) at a meeting in Belgrade. Photo: Government of Montenegro

He explained that such measures are being introduced instead of suspending fees, because "he wants Kosovo to act as an independent state, which it is".
"Reciprocity will happen because we have decided to act as an independent state. Just as we are.

Montenegro's economy minister Dragica Sekulic said on Monday that joining the 'mini Schengen' initiative for Balkan states proposed by Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia would be a waste of energy because her country has already "opened its borders" and lifted trade barriers to its neighbours.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Friday signed a free trade deal with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, EAEU, in Moscow, after the EU warned that it will closely monitor such relations, as Serbia is a candidate for joining the European Union.

Beside Brnabic, the deal was signed by the Prime Ministers of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, says after a joint statement issued by the Quint countries, that Serbia would continue to pursue its internal interests.

Brnabic told reporters after meeting with Pellegrini and the Slovak delegation that settling the clearing debt symbolically put an end to last open issue between the two countries.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia Sem Fabrizi delivered today to Prime Minister Ana Brnabic the Annual Report of the European Commission on the Republic of Serbia.

Instead, Belgrade has decided to go for countermeasures, that are currently under consideration.