CCIS: Free Trade Agreement with Egypt to come into effect this summer

The deputy president of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (CCIS), Mihailo Vesovic, has stated that the Free Trade Agreement with Egypt has been verified and that it will come into effect in the summer.

– That is a big step forward in the economic relations of Serbia and Egypt and that is something that we have been working on for the past six, seven years and, finally, with the Free Trade Agreement, we have the highest form of economic cooperation – Vesovic said at the press conference ahead of the meeting with the minister of labor of Egypt, Mohamed Gibran, and the Serbian companies interested in hiring workforce from that country.

He pointed out that Egypt was becoming a country with which, in the coming period, more than 80 percent of the products would be subject to the free trade regime.

– That is very important for Serbian companies which are exporters, which are looking for alternative markets relative to the European market, where the majority of Serbian products goes. We’re talking fruit, frozen fruit and vegetables, but also certain technological and industrial products, which is very important as a step forward for the Serbian exports and economy – said Vesovic.

He said that, at the meeting, the possibilities of importing workforce in certain fields in which Serbia was not able to secure a sufficient number of workers - construction, commerce and hotel services - would also be discussed at the meeting.

– In order to be able to complete all the development projects that we have, the workforce that we have locally is not enough and that is why, for us, cooperation with Egypt is one of the responses to the demands of the corporate sector – said Vesovic.

He announced that, in the coming period, Serbia was looking at a more intensive economic cooperation with Egypt, visits in both directions, and added that he believed that companies would see that as an invitation to think about that market and the possibilities of placing their products, but also about imports, because “many products that we buy globally, are burdened with customs fees.”

– When the Free Trade Agreement comes into effect, primarily citrus fruit, certain types of fruit and vegetables, but also some industrial products, will be in the customs-free regime, which will also enable lower prices in the Serbian market – said Vesovic.

Gibran congratulated Serbia for having been picked to organize the specialized exhibition EXPO 2027 and added that he believed that it would ensure that the country be recognized as “a big country”, but also that he believed that, for that opportunity, if not others too, it would need workers from Egypt, especially in the field of construction.

– Our workers have big experience which they have acquired in this field in Egypt and many other countries are already seeking them. Some workers from Egypt are already in Serbia, but I believe that it’s a very small number. Our workers are very professional, kind, they don’t create problems and they do their job professionally – said Gibran.

The Ministry of Labor of Egypt, according to him, is working on new steps toward recruiting workers in order to ensure that all workers that are being sent abroad are qualified and to then monitor their work.

He added that the Ministry of Labor of Egypt tried to introduce the workers to the laws and conditions in Serbia.

– We have met with the ministers of labor and interior of Serbia and they are familiar with the situation. They said that they would give visas to our workers after we had provided guarantees that our workers would not leave there – said Gibran.

He said that certain professional steps in worker recruitment had been made, that Egypt provided many trainings for various types of skills and that it also did professional orientation with workers before they left Egypt.

– As a state, we are fighting illegal migration and human trafficking, so our workers who come to Serbia will be, above all, educated and trained – he said.

Privredna komora Srbije

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

CCIS

Mihailo Vesović

Mohamed Gibran

Free Trade Agreement with Egypt