Limaj gives clarification about CEFTA collection failure

The CEFTA Interministerial Committee meeting, which was meant to be held in Pristina today, has been announced closed by Kosovo's leader after Serbia's representative violated the agreement, which had been reached in advance, that Kosovo no longer made reference to unconstitutional appointments.
Durim Limaj, who chaired CEFTA this year as representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, showed how today's meeting of the CEFTA Interministerial Committee turned out.

This week is the week of CEFTA, where a series of activities have been held in Pristina, while today it was meant to hold the CEFTA Interministerial Committee meeting.

Serbia and Bosnia did not participate in any activities that were held this week, and last night they announced they would participate in today's meeting.

Serbia was represented by a lawyer, who was contracted from the CEFTA point in Serbia, and a person of Serbia's so-called Office for Kosovo.

Given the circumstances created with the establishment of a tax from the Republic of Kosovo, Durim Limaj indicated that representatives from Serbia and Bosnia have just arrived, knowing there may be unacceptable statements from them, have set a meeting together with European Union representatives.

But, in advance Limaj had received instructions from Minister Andrew Shala, not allowed to be named U n NPC, 1244, or Kosovo and Metohija.

I let them know as leaders, which is already set for an agenda of the meeting and will talk about those topics that were previously defined and all announced a week ago. They have asked that at the various agenda points give a statement concerning the last tax. I have said yes we can give you a statement, well, provided you don't refer to Kosovo as UNMIK, you did not mention Resolution 1244, or Kosovo and Metohija”, Limaj said.

Limaj explains that after their discussions and contact with Belgrade, they agreed not to mention other appointments for Kosovo, but demanded that there be a meeting under the CEFTA regulation to negotiate the tax.

“I have told you that to hold such a meeting, you must first change the demand, as your request is wrongly addressed, and if you submit a request to the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, this could happen without problem”, Limaj suggested.

He also indicated that representatives of Serbia, demanded that the meeting lead the UNPC, but that this was not accepted.

We have decided to go to the meeting room and I have opened the meeting and after I wanted them welcome, the moment I asked about the agenda, Serbia's representative, Ivan Makrovic, raised his hand and gave him my word.

In the first sentence, he mentioned it. UNMIK, and I have been signaled by my colleague who would speak in the name of Kosovo, Trade and Industry Director Chibrie Dervisolli, to release the meeting, she's out, and I, as the leader, wanted to continue, so we don't want to ruin the meeting.

But in the second sentence, he mentioned the provisional institutions of self-government, and at that moment I declared the meeting closed, we were out of the hall.

Albania's representative has also come after us, and thus has been unable to hold the CEFTA Interministerial Committee meeting”, Limaj explained. /rtv21