Sarrazin again addresses the government for CEFTA: the consequences will be for the people, if you block yourself

German emissary Manuel Sarrazin has again talked about the compromise required by Kosovo to lift the ban on Serbian goods, and to deploy to UNMIK as representatives in CEFTA.

In an interview for “RTK”, he has stated, are not only Serbian products that are not being allowed to enter Kosovo, but also German products produced in Serbia.

“We have opened our ears to Kosovo. So it is a new step toward recognition. We offer a solution that makes it possible for Kosovo to represent itself in CEFTA organs and to ensure a common regional market so that CEFTA can expand to benefit populations throughout the Western Balkans region, concrete things like those all the work permits that are accepted in the EU, etc. We'd put that last pin on the Open Balkan coffin. We offered an agreement on one side, listening to Kosovo's desire to represent itself in CEFTA organs and then we have offered German-European security on borders. But we need to be clear, we Germany want free trade in the region, and that includes goods from Serbia. Not only are Serbian goods, but German products produced in Serbia and not allowed to enter Kosovo, and this is not in accordance with our free trade principles. We can't make such agreements on common trade in the regional market with these things.

Sarrazin has clearly indicated that if Kosovo does not exploit this, other things will not be achieved at the table.

He has even discovered that from Brussels it is said that “if Kosovo blocks CEFTA, it will be difficult to attach the Growth Plan”.

In addition, he said the consequences could be for the citizens' people, and that Kosovo “is blocking only itself”.

The Agreement is on the table. If Kosovo doesn't take advantage of this, it won't get the other things on that table. We have made it clear that this mechanism has the potential for Kosovo to return to a later moment, but that then the price is higher. At times, it is better to sign the agreement than to wait later because it can also move the price. I was in Brussels and some people were telling me that if Kosovo blocks CEFTA it would be very difficult to join the Development Plan and access to the EU market. Concretically for Kosovo could be an obstacle to that CEPA plan. The consequences can be for the people, for the citizens. So you can just block yourself, you can't block others. But this is not a blow against Kosovo, but it is an urgent need to move forward in this regional co-operation. I repeat, we want Kosovo on the table, it's our ideology like Germany. It is an agenda to do so, but Germany cannot wait for Kosovo, if it fails to make the deal.” quoted him as saying.