Committee member Zarko Micin said that Serbia and Ukraine could stand to improve their bilateral and economic cooperation especially in view of the fact that Ukraine is one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world and the trade between the two countries was expanded in 2016.

Committee member Dr Muamer Bacevac said that Bosniaks in Serbia admire the Ukrainian people and that last November’s two-day visit to Kyiv was politically very important since the highest Ukrainian dignitaries took the time to brief the European Integration Committee members on the situation and problems in the country.

The members of the European Integration Committee said they would push for the establishment of a parliamentary friendship group with Ukraine in the National Assembly, as it is sets the groundwork for parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, and invited the Ukrainian parliamentarians to pay a return visit to Serbia this year.

Ambassador Aleksandrovych was pleased to hear about the imminent establishment of a parliamentary friendship group with Ukraine in the National Assembly, as well as by the two countries’ economic cooperation and trade in 2016.

He said that 2016’s trade amounted to 250 million EUR and almost 80% of Ukrainian exports into Serbia are ores and metals for the Smederevo steel works. To balance out the trade, last year the two chambers of commerce co-organized their first business forum in Kyiv, attended by more than 100 companies. The ambassador announced that the second business forum will be organized in Novi Sad this year, in May, to coincide with the Agricultural Far and allow Ukrainian firms to present themselves to the Serbian market. This will be accompanied by a cultural festival, Days of Ukraine, which will feature 50 cultural events in 10 locations in Novi Sad.

The Ukrainian Ambassador also informed the Committee members about the Ukrainian Parliament Speaker’s invitation to the National Assembly Speaker to visit Ukraine and urged the members of the National Assembly’s standing delegations to international organizations to cooperate with their Ukrainian colleagues.