Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic stated yesterday that he will discuss the free trade agreement and Kosovo issue with Ukrainian government officials.Djelic said that the Serbian delegation will use the visit to Ukraine to reinforce the arguments and show to Ukraine its interest in not recognizing Kosovo.

Djelic explained that the divided political elite in Ukraine is debating on the recognition of unilateral independence by Kosovo-Metohija noting that Ukraine is being pressurized, especially by the US.

He stated that Serbia’s deficit in trade with Ukraine is $250 million annually, and he added that trade between the two countries reached $500 million, which is not a lot bearing in mind that Ukraine is one of the fastest growing economies and with a population of 47 million. According to Djelic, Ukrainian market is more accessible for Serbia than Russian, with Serbian companies Sintelon and MK Group already operating there.