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Free trade zone between EAEU and Serbia does not infringe on EU interests — official

The Eurasian Economic Union and Serbia will sign the agreement on establishing a free trade zone at the session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Moscow on October 25

First Deputy Head of the Russian Government Office Sergey Prikhodko Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

First Deputy Head of the Russian Government Office Sergey Prikhodko

© Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

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MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. An agreement on establishing a free trade zone between EAEU countries and Serbia will not infringe on the interests of the European Union, First Deputy Head of the Russian Government Office Sergey Prikhodko told reporters ahead of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's official visit to Serbia.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Serbia will sign the agreement on establishing a free trade zone at the session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Moscow on October 25.

"The agreement on a free trade zone between the EAEU and Serbia does not infringe on the interests of third parties, including EU member states. According to official EU documents, candidate countries may have special trading regimes up until they join the European Union," Prikhodko said.

"When it comes to Serbia's relations with the EU, it is important for the Russian side that Serbia's prospects of joining the EU do not result in the artificial slowdown in rates of Russian-Serbian cooperation," he added.

The Eurasian Economic Union was established on the basis of the Customs Union and Common Economic Space on 1 January 2015. EAEU members include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, the EAEU signed an agreement on establishing a free trade zone with Vietnam. In 2018, a temporary agreement on a free trade zone was signed with Iran, and an agreement on economic cooperation was signed with China.

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