BELGRADE, October 14. /TASS/. Russian Federation Council (upper house) Speaker Valentina Matviyenko considers the signing of the agreement on creating a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Serbia scheduled for October 25 to be a serious step forward.

"I expect the signing of the agreement between Serbia and the Eurasian Economic Union on creating a free trade zone on October 25 to be such a serious step that will help develop the relationship in the future. It took long to be approved as all countries belonging to the Eurasian Economic Union had to provide endorsement," Matviyenko said at the meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Monday.

The speaker added that the agreement opens new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation between Serbia and EAEU states, including Russia.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev urged earlier to speed up preparation of agreements on free trade zones between EAEU and Serbia, as well as Singapore. He noted the importance of strengthening the cooperation between the Union and CIS neighbors and other countries, stressing that EAEU is also keen to expand the number of its foreign partners, particularly through regional organizations, such as ASEAN.