The foreign trade between Serbia and Belarus is on a constant rise, and in the next few years it could reach half a billion dollars, Chairman of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Milos Bugaric stated on Tuesday.

He underlined that cooperation should be developed particularly the fields such as construction and agricultural-food industry. Bugarin underlined at a Serbia-Belarus business forum that the trade between the two countries in 11 months 2011 amounted to nearly USD 150 million, which 40 percent more than in the respective period in 2010.

Serbia's export increased by 27.4 percent and amounted to USD 46.642 million, whereas import reached USD 102.768 million, which is up by 47 percent.

The export-import coverage reached 45 percent, with a USD 15.13 million deficit on the Serbian side, which is more than last year. Belarus is Serbia's 28th export destination, and 33rd largest import partner.

Bugarin pointed to the advantages of the Free Trade Agreement, which Serbia concluded with Belarus in 2009, and expressed expectation that the document will give an even larger impetus to the development of the economic cooperation, particularly Serbia's export.

Serbian Ambassador to Belarus Stojan Jevtic underlined that the Serbian products are still not much famous in the Belarus market, stressing that for example people in Belarus still do not know that Serbia produces wine and dried plums.

He underlined that the Belarusian market should be the spring board for Serbia's export to the Russian and Kazakhstani markets, and that it possible only through joint production.

Belarusian Ambassador to Belgrade Vladimir Chushev underlined that Belarus needs many of the Serbian products, and that the Embassy will do everything in its might to promote this cooperation, recalling that in the last two years the two countries' trade was increased by over two and a half time.