ASTANA (TCA) — Serbia has gained Kazakhstan’s support concerning the issue of duty-free export of Serbia-made Fiat automobiles to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Serbian Economy Minister Goran Knežević and Kazakh National Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev said on August 23, Novosti-Kazakhstan news agency reported.
The decision was announced after the first meeting of the Kazakh-Serbian inter-governmental commission for trade and economic cooperation in Belgrade.
“Minister Bishimbayev promised that Kazakhstan will support that at a meeting of the Eurasian Union Council [the governing body of the EEU]. I think that the last administrative barrier has been removed and export of our automobiles to these [EEU] countries would be allowed,” Knežević said.
The EEU is an economic bloc consisting of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.
Bishimbayev said that Kazakhstan does not see “direct competition” from the Serbian automobile industry, as the two countries work in “different segments”.
Serbia has long been seeking duty-free export to Russia of Fiat automobiles it manufactures under the license of the Italian auto maker.
The meeting of the Kazakh-Serbian inter-governmental commission took place as part of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s three-day visit to Serbia that started on August 23.
Late on August 23, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met with a delegation of Kazakhstan led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Erlan Idrissov. The main topic was the International Specialised Exposition “Expo 2017” which will be held in Astana, economic cooperation between the two countries, as well presentation of Serbia at this event.
The sides emphasized the need to find a way to improve trade between the two countries, which currently stands at €170 million.
