The 3rd meeting of the Kazakh-Serbian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation recently took place in Belgrade, where Kazakhstan announced plans to increase its non-resource goods supplies to Serbia by over $500mn. The Kazakh delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin.
Serbia remains a key trading partner for Kazakhstan in South-Eastern Europe. During the meeting, Zhumangarin highlighted Kazakhstan’s readiness to offer Serbia more than 90 types of non-raw material products. These include items from the metallurgical, petrochemical, food, chemical, and mechanical engineering industries, as well as vehicles and construction materials.
“We have the production and transport capabilities to support this significant increase in supplies,” Zhumangarin stated.
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic expressed enthusiasm for expanding trade and economic relations, noting that the current meeting represents a pivotal step towards developing new joint projects.
Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Agriculture, Amangaliy Berdalin, outlined potential increases in exports of legumes, onions, buckwheat, cereals, and wheat to Serbia. Additionally, Kazakhstan is interested in supplying fish, honey, poultry, horse meat, beef, and dairy products. There is also a potential for importing breeding cows and materials from Serbia due to the ongoing construction of new dairy farms in Kazakhstan.
Transport was another crucial topic discussed. Zhumangarin pointed out that the existing legal framework allows for 14 passenger flights per week between Kazakhstan and Serbia.
“Opening direct flights would position Serbia as a transport hub to Europe. We are also exploring cargo transit options via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” he said.
The meeting also touched on preparations for the EXPO-2027 exhibition in Serbia. Kazakhstan's experience from hosting the EXPO-2017, recognized as the most successful specialized exhibition in history by the International Exhibition Bureau, was shared as part of the discussions.
Additionally, the commission explored opportunities for collaboration in employment, science, education, tourism, healthcare, culture, and sports.
In 2023, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Serbia reached $91.2mn, marking a 23.3% increase from the previous year. Exports rose by 38.7% to $11.4mn, while imports grew by 21.3% to $79.8mn. Agricultural trade accounted for approximately $2.7mn of the total turnover, with corn, sunflower seeds, and live plants being the primary imports, and buckwheat, millet, and other cereals being the main exports.
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