U.S. does not support Albin Kurt's half size for tax removal

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has confirmed this at a news conference.

But these measures, which take step by step to removing the tax on certain conditions, are not supported by the United States of America.

The White House's envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Richard Green in a Twitter post, has written that “does not support Prime Minister Kurti”'s quarterist measures.

Our “Location is quite clear: tariffs must be completely removed. Kurt is making a serious mistake, and this has been made clear to President Hashim Thaci at the White House” today, Grenelli wrote.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Kurti has declared that the start of lifting the fee, initiated with the first subject, “is a sign of goodwill”.

“is a sign of our readiness for the beginning of the actual resolution of economic, trade and political disputes with Serbia”, Kurti has said.

He has invited Serbia's authorities to pledge to suspend the campaign to recognise Kosovo's independence, as well as to start eliminating non-tariff trade barriers to Kosovo.

As Kurti has said, if the Serbian side testifies to the dedication to preventing the non-friendly campaign against Kosovo and vows to quickly remove non-tariff trade barriers, then starting April 1st 2020, the Kosovo government will completely lift the fee for imports from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina for a period of 90 days.

Prime Minister Kurti has stressed that the European Union must assess the Kosovo side's decision to lift the 100 per cent fee on Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina products, offering visa liberalisation before the Zagreb Summit, to be held on May 7th 2020.

Kurti has added that if Serbia fails to respect the good will of the Government of Kosovo for the elimination of trade, economic and political barriers in bilateral reports and, as a result, does not cease its non-friendly campaign on the international plain and begins with removing barriers to relations with Kosovo, “then, the Government of Kosovo, beginning April 1st, will begin with the gradual implementation of the reciprocity principle, once in the field of trade and then more in the economic field and then at the political field.”

If the Serbian side does not reflect over the 90-day period, as Prime Minister Kurti, “the Kosovo government, has said, from June 15th, will return the fee for imports from Serbia, while continuing with the 1 April implementation of reciprocity”.

Kurti has asked the European Union and the United States to come up with detailed and time-term instruments listing the benefits of the parties' sincere commitment to overcoming trade, economic and political barriers, mechanisms for identity and the precise approach of eventual failure to meet obligations by the parties, as well as to list the consequences for the non-cooperative party in the process.

Hoti: Kurti's decision disagrees in government

The ruling coalition, composed of the Vetevendosje Movement and the Democratic League of Kosovo, has not shown complete unity in connection with the tax. It is more than a week since LDK officials have called on Kurti to gather the government and abolish the tax. And after the recent decision, which Kurt made public through a media conference, Kosovo's first Deputy Prime Minister, Avdullah Hoti, has said on the T7 Pressing show that LDK will not remain in the current government unless the tax is lifted unconditionally.

As for the decision presented by Kurti, deputy prime minister from LDK ranks, Avdullah Hoti said he is not the agreed stance in the ruling coalition.

I've agreed to discuss the conditions. It's not the attitude agreed on by us by Kurt's decision regarding tax”, Hoti said. Under the coalition agreement, he said the tariff should be replaced with reciprocity.

“The question of the coalition agreement is to remove the tariff and replace with reciprocity measures if Serbia does not reflect on the removal of obstacles”, Hoti said.

Our request has been to sit down and agree on the heel case. We are government and need consensus for government decisions to be made together. I think we should sit down and talk”, Hoti added.

Kurti's tax decision has been taken following continued calls by the United States of America for the tax to be abolished so as to continue dialogue on reaching a peaceful agreement with Serbia.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, according to a media communique issued after meeting with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, has stressed that he expects Kosovo to lift the fee on Serbian goods and exploit the moment created after signing documents for the establishment of air, railway and land ties between Pristina and Belgrade.

Haradinaj's Vessel criticises Kurti

Meanwhile, in Pristina it was the reaction of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, who, through a Facebook post, has considered this decision “surrender before Serbia”.

“Tonight, Albin Magi surrendered to Serbia. This is the beginning of Serbia and Russia's return to Kosovo. Albin Magi from today, you are responsible for Kosovo's economic recovery from Serbia”, Haradinaj said.

While Democratic Party of Kosovo chairman Kadri Veselini has written on Facebook that Kurti's decision was nothing new.

At least, respect copyright. Because his tax and reciprocity decision has been borrowed from the idea of my January 2019 proposal, which, like everything else, he has rejected”, Wessel wrote.

“As an opposition, he was able to burn Kosovo and use violence and the lives of idealistic young people to come to power. Today, when he leads the Government, his ideal is seen to be just holding power. By blackmailing himself, I am burning myself faster than others have expected, Vessel wrote.

The 100 per cent mark on the goods of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is set in November 2018 by the Government of Kosovo, led by former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, in response, to Serbia's aggressive diplomatic campaign to undermine Kosovo's membership in international organisations, as well as its recognition.

Since then, official Belgrade has refused to continue dialogue on normalising relations with Kosovo, without the removal of this fee.

Like the government of former Prime Minister Haradinaj, the new government of Prime Minister Kurti has faced the ongoing request of the United States of America and the European Union for the removal of the fee, as a condition for the resumption of Kosovo dialogue Serbia, for reaching a comprehensive agreement that would resolve the dispute between the two countries.

Since the introduction of a 100 percent tax on products imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, imports from these countries have dropped by 99 percent.

Before the customs tax was imposed, Serbia was the largest exporter of products in Kosovo. This state, before November 21st, of 2018 when taxes were imposed 100 per cent during one day has exported goods worth about 1.2m euros or about 450m euros in one year to Kosovo.