Svechla announces Merdare crossing has opened for Serbian goods

Kosovo authorities have opened the border crossing with Serbia in Merdare on Tuesday for the passage of goods from Serbia, Kosovo Interior Minister Jelal Svecla announced.

“Based in assessing the security situation on the part of the MPB, at the border crossing in Merdare, for goods originating from Serbia will be passed from the phase of limited circulation of goods to the circulation phase of low-blown goods with manual security controls”, Svecla said.

Import of Serbian goods resumed after the Kosovo Government's decision a day ago to lift the ban on goods from Serbia on this border crossing.

Svechla wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that the crossing in Merdar will be open immediately to all goods from Serbia, but they must first undergo manual security controls until the functioning of X-ray scanners.

“Transporters of goods during this period should take into account this change and make adequate time planning for new border crossing procedures”, he wrote.

As he added, other border points with Serbia will open for all goods “at the moment when X-ray scanners become functional at those border points”.

The Kosovo government had imposed the ban on imports of goods from Serbia in July 2023 for “security”, as three Kosovo police officers were arrested by Serbian police. Although they were later released, the decision on Serbian goods had remained in effect.