Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Sasa Dragin stated opening the 3rd session of the Intergovernmental commission for trade, economic and scientific-technical cooperation between Serbia and Ukraine that in the first nine months, Serbia’s agricultural exports to Ukraine reached $7.9 million.

Dragin said at the session that the total foreign trade between Serbia and Ukraine in the first nine months of 2010 stands at $365.9 million, which is an increase in comparison with the same period in 2009 and shows that the crisis is over in Serbia.

Serbian exports recorded a 17% growth and reached $161.6 million, while the imports from Ukraine increased by 11% to $204.28 million, Dragin observed.

He underlined that the total exports of Serbian agricultural products to Ukraine in this period stood at $161.6 million, exceeding the annual averages of the last seven years, and specified that Serbia mostly exported fruit seedlings, seeds, flour, cheese and vegetables.

The Ukraine delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Economy and Deputy Chairmen of the Ukrainian part of the commission Valeriy Piatnitsky.

The 3rd session of the Intergovernmental commission is taking place today and tomorrow in Belgrade.

The previous two sessions were held in 2001 in Belgrade and in 2002 in Kiev.

This session is being held after an eight-year break and is significant for further improving relations between Serbia and Ukraine.