Minister of Agriculture, Trade, Forestry and Water Management Dusan Petrovic and Republika Srpska Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Miroslav Milovanovic today in Sabac signed an agreement on technical cooperation to facilitate trade in agricultural foodstuffs.

Following the signing Petrovic explained that it refers to cooperation in veterinary and phytosanitary areas, as well as the safety of food and animal feed.

The Minister stressed that the agreement will come into force today, adding that it refers to the mutual recognition of results of analyses conducted in accredited laboratories in Serbia and Republika Srpska.

In the last several months Serbia signed similar agreements with Macedonia and Montenegro, he recalled.

Petrovic said that the agreement will facilitate the trade in food and business activities in agriculture and the food industry, stressing that it will be of the greatest significance to SMEs, as it will simplify the procedures and save time and money for the economy.

Serbia and Republika Srpska had exceptional results in 2011 in terms of trade in agricultural goods, which exceeded €215 million, Petrovic observed.

He voiced his belief that facilitated trade procedures will help to make an even bigger step forward in 2012 in this remit.

Milovanovic said that the legal basis for signing the agreement between the two ministries is an Agreement on special and parallel relations between Serbia and Republika Srpska, signed in September 2006.

He also reiterated that today’s agreement will enable easier procedures for the exchange of goods.