DHAKA,May 26,2022 (BSS) - The European country Serbia has shown its interest
to invest in the food storage industry of Bangladesh.

The visiting Serbian Foreign Affairs minister Nikola Selakovic expressed his
deep interest in a courtesy call on the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) senior vice-president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury
Babu on Thursday morning at a city hotel, said a press release.

During the meeting, the minister said his country's storage companies are one
of the best in the world.

Bangladesh can also benefit from Serbia's investment in this sector, he
added.

Mentioning that Serbia has free trade agreements with Europe, the Eurasian
Economic Union and Turkey, Bangladesh may benefit by establishing joint
ventures and export at zero duty to those free trade countries.

He also expressed interest in signing two agreements on double taxation and
investment protection and promotion with the government of Bangladesh to
increase bilateral trade.

Serbia is also keen to take skilled and semi-skilled manpower from Bangladesh
in construction and agriculture sector, the minister added.

At the same time, the minister urged Bangladeshi students to go to Serbia to
study agricultural engineering as the country provides world best facilities
of its kind.
 Senior Vice President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said that 30 percent of
agricultural products are wasted in Bangladesh every year due to lack of
packaging, transportation and storage.

The country has cold storage only for potatoes. There are no such facilities
in case of other crops.

 Serbia's investment in building storage facilities will open up the door of
technology transfer, he added.

The two sides also agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding between the
Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the FBCCI soon.

The meeting also discussed import of sunflower seeds, contract cultivation of
wheat in Serbia, and establishment of the Serbian Embassy in Dhaka.

Among others, Serbia's assistant minister for Bilateral Relations Vladimir
Maric, Foreign Minister's Adviser Ivan Jaksic, FBCCI Vice-President Habib
Ullah Dawn, Director Amzad Hossain, Shomi Kaiser, Dr. Nadia Binte Amin, Abul
Kasem Khan and Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque were all present at
the meeting.