Duty-free export of oil? - Serbia and Turkey about liberalizing free trade regime

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic met with the Minister of Economy of Turkey, Nihat Zeybekci, in Istanbul on Wednesday, August 27, to talk about further improving the bilateral economic cooperation and further liberation of the free trade regime between the two countries.

Ljajic especially emphasized the need to include sunflower oil among the products exported from Serbia to Turkey in the duty-free regime, reported the Deputy Prime Minister's cabinet.

Ljajic added that certain countries in the region were being favored in that sense, as they exported oil to the Turkish market free of duty, whereas the duty rate for Serbian oil exporters was 36%.

Zeybekci and Ljajic agreed to initiate, as soon as possible, the talks between expert teams from both sides to the end of agreeing on the further liberalization of the free trade regime. It is expected that an agreement on the categories of goods to be included in the free trade regime between Serbia and Turkey will be reached by the end of the year.

The holding of a session of the Trilateral Committee for Economic Cooperation of Serbia, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina in October was also agreed, on which occasion the trade and tourism offices of Serbia will be opened in B&H and Istanbul.

There was also talk at the meeting about the possibilities of Turkey's financial aid to certain infrastructural projects in Serbia.

Ministarstvo turizma i omladine Republike Srbije

Ministry of Trade Tourism and Telecommunications

Rasim Ljajic

Ministry of Economy of Turkey

Nihat Zeybekci

free trade regime between Serbia and Turkey

sunflower oil export to Turkey

oil export

Trilateral Committee for Economic Cooperation of Serbia Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina

duty free export to Turkey

export to Turkey from Serbia