Representatives of Serbia and Algeria signed yesterday in Belgrade four agreements on cooperation in agriculture, culture, foreign trade and the media.

The contracts were signed on behalf of Serbia by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Sasa Dragin, Minister of Culture Nebojsa Bradic, Director of the Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SIEPA) Bozidar Laganin and Director of Tanjug news agency Branka Djukic.

On behalf of Algeria, the documents were signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mourad Medelci and the country’s Ambassador to Serbia Abdelkader Mesdoua.

The documents signed are the Programme of cooperation in the field of culture between the Serbian and Algerian governments for 2011, 2012 and 2013, the Agreement on agricultural cooperation, the Memorandum of Understanding in the promotion of foreign trade between SIEPA and the National Agency for Promotion of Foreign Trade of Algeria (ALGEX) and the Agreement on cooperation of national news agencies of the two countries.

Dragin said at a press conference held after the signing of the documents that the Agreement on agricultural cooperation will contribute to development of cooperation with Algeria in this area, which has been symbolic until now. He added that the cooperation will include the sectors of food production, veterinary medicine and the exchange of scientific and technical achievements.

Bradic pointed out that the Programme of cooperation in the field of culture between the two countries for the period from 2011 to 2013 will enable a more dynamic, open and effective cooperation.

He expressed his belief that future ties which will be made by artists and institutions of culture will create a closer relationship between Serbia and Algeria.

Medelci stated that the agreements signed today are the announcement of a series of agreements which two countries are preparing and invited Serbian businessmen to come to Algeria.

Laganin said that the Memorandum of Understanding in the promotion of foreign trade will enable businessmen from Serbia and Algeria to be better informed about investment climate and investment opportunities in the two countries.

He said that the fields that have great potential for future cooperation with Algeria are construction industry, production of rail cars and pharmaceutical industry, and recalled that 25 Serbian companies participated this year at the FIA fair in Algeria and concluded contracts worth €5.2 million.

Djukic specified that the Agreement on cooperation between national news agencies envisages communication between Tanjug and Algeria’s national agency APS, which will improve information about the events in the other country.