41 minutes agoNew Bazaar? Rashiqi says Kosovo allows Serbian goods, EU removes sanctions
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)The Kosovo government in the coming period would have to annul the decision to ban import of goods produced in Serbia, but expects the European Union to cancel punitive measures against Pristina, says Minister for Communities and Kthim, Nenad Rassic. As he explains, annulment of the decision to ban import goods [...]
As he explains, cancellation of the decision to ban import of Serbian goods has asked Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in addition to that, some international diplomats”. According to Rashiqi, Kurti's response has been that he -- as prime minister -- wants full extension, but “that the European Union must show some understanding”.
This is one of the first steps to follow. Whether it will be included jointly in the package [removed from the import import of goods from Serbia and EU measures towards Kosovo], I cannot tell you now, but it is certainly the first thing that will be on our agenda”, Rassic tells the REL.
However, he did not specify the exact date or at what time these decisions should be made.
The Kosovo government on 14 June has banned the entrance of trucks with Serbian license plates and the import of goods originating from Serbia for reasons “security”. The decision was a response to the arrest of three Kosovo police officers by Serbian forces, who have since been released to defend themselves. Meanwhile, the entrance to Serbia's license trucks is allowed, but not even the circulation of Serbian goods.
Two months later, one of the results of this decision is that there are almost no products from Serbia in Serb-run majority areas in Kosovo.
As residents of North Mitrovica and some of the businessmen say, due to lack, they replaced Serbian products “against their will” with those from countries in the region.
On the other hand, at the end of June, the EU imposed measures on Kosovo because it did not take appropriate steps to calm tensions in northern Kosovo. Some of the measures taken against Kosovo are the temporary suspension of the work of all working groups for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, as well as the suspension of invitations to Kosovo's participation in high-level meetings.
Then, on July 10th, Kosovo reached an agreement with the EU on extending the situation to the north and has so far taken several steps in this direction.
Tensions in northern Kosovo rose in late May, after the new mayors of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposaijqi, under Kosovo Police, entered municipal buildings.
Local Serbs rejected this and organised protests, which culminated in violence on May 29th in Zvecan, with cases hurting dozens of protesters and soldiers of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
Rasp: Strategic Interests Make It Possible for All to Win
Minister for Communities and Kthim Nenad Rassic estimates that the process of deexpassing the situation in northern Kosovo is going in the right direction and that at this moment “all must be patient, tolerant and reasonable”.
He stresses that the annulment of the decision to ban import of goods from Serbia will be made in order to further extension, but re-exon that Kosovo “must get something”.
You know what it's like in politics, you give something, we give something. These are strategic interests that allow both sides to win and I have no problem with this, because diplomacy itself means to tolerate the other side to make reasonable decisions”, Rassic points out.
The European Union did not answer the question of whether the removal of measures towards Kosovo is being considered.
REL diplomatic sources in the EU have said earlier that lifting punitive measures would depend on the implementation of the agreements and obligations Pristina has made.
EU spokesman Peter Stano said on August 10th that the Kosovo government should take more steps towards reducing the situation in the north and that the European bloc is willing to take measures against Serbia if it does not co-operate on the issue.
He underlined that EU measures depend on the way Pristina and Belgrade approach commitment and return to dialogue on normalising relations.
US Embassy: Avoid Actions That Lead to escalation
In a response to Radio Free Europe, the spokesman for the American Embassy in Kosovo stresses that Kosovo and Serbia should take steps to promote free cross-border flow of goods, rather than taking actions that would prevent it.
“Call on Kosovo and Serbia to de-terriminate tensions, avoid actions that could be interpreted as escalation and immediately return to dialogue [for normalising EU-led relations]. We expect Kosovo and Serbia to fully implement all their obligations from the Ohrid Agreement”, the Embassy's response said. It adds that this US stance has been forwarded to Prime Minister Kurti and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 26th.
Since late May, the US and other Western countries have called on Pristina and Belgrade to return to dialogue after tensions added to majority Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo.
In March of this year, the two sides agreed in Ohrid to implement several provisions from the agreement on normalising relations based on the European Union's proposal. That agreement should resolve a large number of open issues between Kosovo and Serbia.
