At a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to BiH Haldun Koç today, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac said that companies from Republika Srpska also must be included in the export of meat to Turkey.
Regarding the export of beef from BiH to Turkey, Košarac has informed Koç of his position that was harmonized with the Entity line ministers, namely, that equal treatment is needed for companies from Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH that are certified by relevant inspection bodies in BiH and Turkey.
Košarac has stressed that the past practice of unilateral positioning of companies from the BiH when it comes to the export of meat to Turkey is unacceptable and that companies from Republika Srpska also must be included in it, given that there are capacities and the need due to surpluses in the primary production.
He has said that companies from the whole of BiH that are certified for the export of meat to Turkey must buy domestic production, says a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations.
“We are aware of the fact that due to decreased domestic demand for meat, there are surpluses in domestic production. This is why I asked Ambassador Koç to increase the already approved quota of 3,000 tons by minimum another 2,000 tons for the year 2020, by which the quota would be 5,000 tons. We would thus enable a greater trade and the purchase of domestic production,” Košarac said.
Košarac and Koç spoke in Sarajevo about cooperation in trade, the export of meat from BiH to Turkey and other current issues. They expressed satisfaction over good bilateral relations between the two countries and stressed readiness to improve cooperation in trade.
Košarac and Koç agreed that after regular flights between BiH and Turkey resume, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers shall host a working meeting between representatives of the Turkish Embassy and BiH, relevant Entity Ministries and representatives of companies from BiH certified to export meat to Turkey in order to reach a final agreement and improve the process.
They also discussed organizing a bilateral trade committee.
They agreed that a meeting should be held in Turkey in mid-July, and stressed that this would be an opportunity to talk about open issues in trade.
When it comes to organizing a trilateral BiH-Serbia-Turkey committee, they agreed that it will be postponed for after the elections in Serbia.
Source: SRNA
