Kazakhstan, Serbia may create free trade zone

It was revealed at the meeting of Vice Prime Minister of Kazakhstan - Minister of Agriculture Askar Myrzakhmetov with Minister of Agriculture of Serbia Branislav Nedimović in Astana on Tuesday, Kazinform has learnt from the ministry's press service.

The sides met after the Kazakhstan-Serbia Business Forum and discussed key directions and further prospects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in agriculture.

Askar Myrzakhmetov and Branislav Nedimović noted that Kazakhstan and Serbia has vast potential for its development and that if Kazakhstan is considered by Serbia as a corridor to China and its huge market, then, Kazakhstan sees Serbia as a window to Europe.

"Earlier the leaders of Kazakhstan and Serbia highlighted the priority directions of our cooperation and agriculture is one of them. As you know, Kazakhstan is one of the region's leaders in terms of grain and flour production. As for Serbia, it achieved tangible success in the sphere of organic agriculture. And we can achieve more in that direction if we cooperate," Minister Myrzakhmetov stressed at the meeting.

Kazakhstan is interested in exchanging experience with Serbia in the sphere of organic agriculture, joint research in crop variety testing and establishing contacts with Serbian agrarian scientific and technical institutes.

"President Nursultan Nazarbayev set the goal to produce more organic products. In this connection we are planning to step up cooperate with Serbia. We are ready to send a working group that will thoroughly study this issue," Myrzakhmetov added.

The Serbian side also supported Kazakhstan's proposal on creating a free trade zone with access to Europe.