TIRANA – Kosovo has lifted 100% tariff on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, interim Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a televised interview on Wednesday. He also announced a reciprocity gesture, wherein all Serbian goods entering Kosovo should have documentation that certifies their quality. Goods going from Kosovo to Serbia already have such documentation.
The tariffs had been imposed in 2018 as a result of Serbian efforts to block Kosovo’s access to international agencies like Interpol. The dispute led to the breakdown of EU-mediated talks, which had started in 2011.
In the meantime Kurti said that Serbia should allow vehicles with Kosovar number plates and foreign people coming from Kosovo to enter freely.
Earlier in March this year, Kosovo had partially lifted the tariff on raw materials imported from Serbia.
Kurti added that the new measures would be followed until June 15 and would be withdrawn if there was no reciprocity.
EU’s Borrell pleased, but Vucic skeptic
EU representative Josep Borrell reacted to the decision positively, calling for regional harmony as the world is facing the threat of coronavirus.
“Happy to see the decision on the full lifting of tariffs by Kosovo caretaker government for goods coming from Serbia and BiH. This is an important decision. Regional cooperation is key as is maintaining flow of goods, in particular in times of crisis COVID19,” said Borrell in Twitter on Wednesday.
However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called Kosovo’s phase-out a trick.
Kurti’s newly elected coalition government was recently toppled in a vote of no confidence over the issue of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Kurti is currently serving as the caretaker prime minister./argumentum.al
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