Serbia, Georgia launch strategic dialogue on FTA

BELGRADE - Strategic dialogue on a Serbia-Georgia FTA to be signed by end-2026 was launched at a session of an intergovernental commission on trade and economic cooperation on Monday.

The commission met at the Palace of Serbia, three days after an official visit to Belgrade by Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and was co-chaired by Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic and Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili.

The ministers signed a joint statement on launching talks on concluding a FTA, as well as a protocol from the session.

The first round of talks on the FTA is due in the first half of next year.

"The agreement we will conclude opens up possibilities for advancement of trade cooperation," Lazarevic said, noting that the commission had met after a six-year hiatus.

"I believe we have done a good job, we defined certain areas of cooperation that will be the guideline for work and continued development of the successful political and economic relations between the two countries in the coming period," she said.

Lazarevic added that the Georgian delegation had taken an opportunity to see first-hand the implementation of the Belgrade Waterfront project as its investor would carry out an identical project in Tbilisi.

"The project has completely transformed the image of our capital, and I believe the same will be the case in Tbilisi," she said.

The main topics of the session were further development of cooperation in trade, investments, agriculture, mining and energy, construction, transport and infrastructure, tourism, youth and sports, as well as advancement of cooperation between the Serbian and Georgian chambers of commerce.

Direct flights between Belgrade and Tbilisi were launched in June.

During Kavelashivili's visit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced Serbia would open its embassy in Tbilisi soon.