Kosovo lifts tariffs on Serbia, introduces reciprocity

Gazeta Express

31/03/2020 20:18

Kosovo’s caretaker prime minister Albin Kurti said the 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods will be fully revoked on 1 April and be replaced with reciprocity.

Kurti said that the new measure which must be confirmed by the caretaker Government tonight, will remain into force until 15 June, and after an assessment the Government will decide how to further proceed. Earlier the Government dropped tariffs on raw materials coming from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Kurti during a press conference on Tuesday evening said the reciprocity measures are in line with the CEFTA Agreement, a regional trade agreement that Kosovo is part of, and the European trade practices. According to Kurti if the Cabinet approves his proposal, the 100 percent tariffs on Bosnia-Herzegovina goods will be completely abolished without introducing any additional measure.

Former Kosovo PM Ramush Haradinaj introduced in November 1018 a 100 percent tax on all goods from Serbia to counter Belgrade’s aggressive campaign against Kosovo’s statehood. The tariffs have halted the EU-facilitated dialogue, with Belgrade conditioning resumption of dialogue with the revocation of tariffs. Kurti’s Government was pressed by United States and the European Union to completely drop tariffs and not introduce any new measure. On 25 March the Parliament dismissed Kurti’s Government following a no-confidence motion initiated by junior coalition partner – LDK following disagreements on handling the coronavirus crisis. One of the reasons the LDK decided to dismiss the Government was also Kurti’s refusal to fully lift tariffs as requested by the United States. /GazetaExpress/