Kosovo-Serbia Common Crossing Points at Merdare and Mutivoda fully operational

English

Gazeta Express

05/04/2022 12:34

The EUELX Mission in Kosovo called a positive breakthrough functionalization of the Common Crossing Points of Merdare and Mutivode based on the Agreement on IBM reached between Kosovo and Serbia as part of the EU-facilitated Dialogue in Brussels. After 17 months of functionalization of the new common crossing financed by the EU, Serbian border authorities have finally agreed to took ownership of the new premises at Merdare and Mutivode, Gazeta Express reports.

EULEX said in a press release that this is a positive breakthrough in terms of the implementation of the IBM Technical Protocol of the EU-facilitated Dialogue. On 21 March, the Belgrade Party took ownership of the new premises at Mutivode and on 14 March the Serbian authorities successfully opened both sides of the Merdare.

“The EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues (EUSR-DWB) facilitated the decision to fully operationalize the two CCPs, while the Dialogue Support Unit currently under the helm of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) assisted in the coordination of the transition process at both CCPs, whose full operationalization is expected to considerably reduce waiting times for passengers, making a difference to the lives of all citizens using them. In the case of Mutivode CCP, EUSR-DWB and EULEX also ensured that the Serbian authorities could successfully move into the new premises, thanks to the close cooperation with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), who carried out the maintenance and infrastructure works,” the EULEX said in  a statement.

According to the press release during the visit of the Head of EULEX’s Monitoring Pillar, Benny Tollestrup Jensen, and the Senior Advisor on IBM for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Alan Wilson, to Merdare and Mutivode on 25 March, senior representatives of both Kosovo and Serbian Police and Customs expressed their appreciation to the European Union for the continued support and cooperation provided in ensuring the effective and efficient functioning of the CCPs.

The Merdare and Mutivode CCPs are EU-funded state-of-the-art facilities and have been opened based on the IBM Technical Protocol agreed between Belgrade and Pristina. The Kosovo authorities took ownership of the Merdare CCP in October 2018 and of the Mutivode CCP in July 2019. The protocol foresaw the establishment of six CCPs with the primary objective of promoting cooperation between the Kosovo and Serbian authorities. All envisaged six CCPs continue to be operational and have hugely improved the unhindered passage of citizens and traders from both Kosovo and Serbia. /GazetaExpress/