KOŠARAC: DOMESTIC WINEMAKERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXPORT TO LARGE RUSSIAN MARKET

SAINT PETERSBURG, JUNE 20 /SRNA/ - During the stay in Saint Petersburg, in contacts with the Russian side, the interest by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance in signing a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of winemaking and readiness to sign it was expressed again, said Staša Košarac, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Košarac, who is also the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, stated that this ministry has recognized the importance of the large Russian market as a significant opportunity for winemakers from Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH /FBiH/. For that reason, a draft memorandum was prepared, for which they received positive opinions from the competent institutions, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers.

"There is no justified reason for blocking or obstructing this document. Therefore, I expect the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the line minister Elmedin Konaković to promptly give their consent to the signing of the Memorandum, based on which we will open a new market for the placement of products from the winemaking sector of Republika Srpska and the FBiH," Košarac posted on Instagram.

He believes that it would be very wise to use the good political relations between Republika Srpska’s President Milorad Dodik and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the friendly support of the Russian Federation, to boost the export of domestic wines to the promising Russian market.

"Russia is our proven friend and a country with which we want to improve foreign trade and strengthen overall economic relations," said Košarac, who is participating in the International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg.

He pointed out that companies from Republika Srpska and the FBiH have already been allowed to export fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy products, so there is no reason why domestic winemakers should not also be allowed to place their products on the large Russian market, which wants our wines.