Serbia, Ukraine sign statement on continuing FTA talks

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic and Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka signed on Thursday in Belgrade a joint statement on continuing talks on a Serbia-Ukraine FTA.

Lazarevic and Kachka also signed a document titled Modality of Conducting Negotiations on a Free-Trade Agreement between the Government of Serbia and the Government of Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Kachka met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss, among other topics, a FTA and possibilities for a further increase of goods trade, investments and cooperation in commerce, energy and infrastructure.

The negotiations on a FTA were launched in 2005 as part of the process of Serbia's accession to the World Trade Organisation.

In May last year, Kachka and Serbia's Acting Assistant Minister of Internal and External Trade Olivera Jocic held a brief meeting to discuss the matter.

Lazarevic: Talks on FTA with Ukraine to be concluded by end-2026

BELGRADE - Serbia and Ukraine plan to conclude talks on a FTA by the end of this year to lift customs tariffs on goods trade, Serbian Minister of Internal and External Trade Jagoda Lazarevic said on Thursday after meeting with Ukrainian Deputy PM for European and Euro-Atlantic integration Taras Kachka, who is also the country's trade representative.

"Both sides have a plan to conclude the talks by the end of the year so that our companies and our business communities can have very concrete, measurable results and benefits from a reduction or lifting of customs tariffs on exports and imports of goods," Lazarevic told reporters after the Palace of Serbia meeting.

She added that the plan was to move to the next stage next year to expand the talks to also include services, which she noted were "equally important today."

Lazarevic noted that Serbia-Ukraine economic cooperation was developing successfully in spite of challenges faced by Ukraine.

"Let me remind you that our volume of external goods trade reached 450 mln dollars in 2025. Serbian exports exceeded 200 mln dollars for the first time, which represents an excellent balance for continuing the talks about concluding a FTA," she said, noting that the Serbian Chamber of Industry and Commerce had hosted a successful Serbia-Ukraine business forum on Wednesday.