MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

First round of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Republic of Serbia was held in Belgrade, Serbia. The Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genadi Arveladze led the Georgian negotiating team, while the Assistant Minister of Internal and External Trade of Serbia, Olivera Jocić headed the Serbian delegation.

During the meeting, both parties highlighted the friendly relations existing between Georgia and Serbia and emphasized the importance of further deepening economic cooperation.

According to Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the delegations achieved substantial progress during this very first round of negotiations. “Our expectation is that negotiations with the Serbian side will be successfully concluded within three quarters of the current year. The Free Trade Agreement will facilitate the growth of bilateral trade and investment, create new opportunities for businesses, and strengthen economic partnerships. Furthermore, Georgian businesses will gain access to a market of 6.6 million consumers, where they can export products under a free trade regime, cooperate with local enterprises, and attract investments, which will ultimately yield a positive impact on the economic ties between the two nations,” – Arveladze noted.

Within the framework of the negotiations, the parties discussed the core areas of the agreement, including: trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade (TBT), digital trade, telecommunication services, intellectual property rights, trade remedies, dispute settlement mechanisms as well as legal and institutional matters.

Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to conduct negotiations in a constructive, efficient, and result-oriented manner. It was noted that Georgia possesses significant experience in successfully concluding free trade agreement negotiations within short timeframes, creating a highly positive outlook for the ongoing process with Serbia.