BELGRADE — China and Serbia on Jan 17 signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture.

The MOU was signed in the Serbian capital Belgrade by visiting Chinese Minister of Agriculture Han Changfu and his Serbian counterpart Branislav Nedimovic.

China and Serbia will enhance cooperation in agricultural investment and technological development, especially in the areas of meat processing and vegetable and fruit processing, Han told reporters after the signing.

“Regarding trade of agricultural products, we welcome the imports of safe and quality products from Serbia, which not only gives Chinese customers more choices, but also benefits Serbian farmers,” he said.

The MOU serves as the starting point of bilateral cooperation in agriculture, Han said, while urging the two sides to enhance cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative and the “16+1” cooperation mechanism.

The “16+1” refers to China and the 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Nedimovic said the MOU was set to bring Chinese investment into Serbia and such cooperation was vital to the country’s food processing industry.