Minister Han Changfu met with Mr.Branislav Nedimovi？, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, in Belgrade on Jan.17, 2017. The two sides conducted in-depth and extensive exchanges on furthering the bilateral agricultural cooperation.
Minister Han's visit to Serbia aimed at implementing the Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Serbia signed by the two heads of state during the visit of President Xi Jinping to Serbia in last June, and promoting the bilateral agricultural cooperation to a new high.
Minister Han noted that China and Serbia enjoy traditional friendship and the two countries are highly complementary in agriculture with enormous potential for cooperation. Remarkable achievements have been made in agricultural research and trade sector.
To further the bilateral agricultural cooperation, Minister Han suggested:
(1)Strengthening exchanges on agricultural policies and pressing ahead with agricultural investment cooperation under the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative" by leveraging respective strengths in agricultural production conditions, capitals and technologies;
(2)Making good use of the China International Agricultural Trade Fair (CATF) and other platforms to promote the bilateral agricultural trade and facilitate the access of quality agricultural specialties of Serbia to China's market;
(3)Encouraging research institutes of both sides to establish effective cooperation mechanisms and conduct pragmatic cooperation in germplasm, livestock, agricultural equipment and protected horticulture in forms ofjoint study, personnel exchanges and co-building of labs;
(4) Capitalizing on the China-Central-Eastern European Countries cooperation (the 16+1 cooperation) mechanism to boost the bilateral agricultural cooperation.
Mr.Branislav Nedimovi？ fully agreed with Minister Han, stressing that Serbia stands ready to work with China to enhance agricultural product processing and research, and further expand agricultural trade. The Serbian side will offer favorable conditions in land use and taxation to Chinese enterprises intending to investin Serbia.
After the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation.
During his stay in Serbia, Minister Han also visited a dairy farm, a vegetable and fruit processing plant,a winery and a maize research institute.