Branislav Nedimovic in Lebanon

Lebanon and Serbia will sign a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation Tuesday, building on caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s visit to Serbia in November last year. Serbian Agriculture Minister Branislav Nedimovic announced the memorandum during a visit to Baabda Palace Monday, according to a statement from the president’s office. Nedimovic said that “the chambers of commerce between the two countries will be concerned with identifying agricultural products that can be imported from Lebanon,” according to the statement. Lebanon’s Agriculture Minister Ghazi Zeaiter said that under the agreement, a joint committee between the two countries would be established "to activate the exchange of produce." Nedimovic also handed Aoun an official invitation to visit Serbia from President Aleksandar Vucic, who expressed his intention “to promote bilateral relations between the two countries and to explore means of developing them in all fields.” Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri also received Nedimovic at his Downtown Beirut residence Monday. The Serbian delegation briefed Hariri on the details of the agricultural agreement. Last November, Bassil suggested that Serbia could serve not only as an economic partner but as an example Lebanon can follow to overcome its own economic woes. Bassil referred specifically to how Serbia dealt with its economic crisis and compared it with the Lebanese situation. During Bassil's visit to Serbia on Nov. 28, he and his Serbian diplomatic counterpart discussed the possibility of eliminating entry visas for Lebanese nationals to Serbia, noting that about 27,000 Lebanese citizens had traveled to the country in the past year.