The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said on Monday that he expects the Kosovo authorities to “do their best” to prevent the free circulation of goods and Serbian services, despite the lifting of the ban on Serbian products at the Merdare border crossing.
“It is important for the Serbian economy, but will they do their best to put blockades – yes. He [Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti] will invent the scanners now, and he will wait for another 22 months, and he will invent something else”, said Vucic on October 7.
Kurti announced earlier in the day that the Kosovo authorities have lifted the ban on goods from Serbia at the point in Merdare, and until the arrival of advanced scanners, strict checks will be carried out to prevent the entry of any goods that may endanger the security of the country.
According to Kurti, the restrictive measure has never been a commercial measure, but a security measure.
“We have to undertake security measures, never trade measures… we believe that the change of measure is more than enough for the day after tomorrow in CEFTA, and on Monday in the Berlin Process, to have complete success”.
He admitted that the restrictive measure had an effect on trade, but described this fact as a “consequence” and not the “goal” of the Government.
Kurti has said that he expects the United States and the European Union to help Kosovo in providing scanners at the border, to ensure that goods entering from Serbia do not pose a security risk.
The government of Kosovo imposed a ban on the import of goods from Serbia in July 2023 for “security” reasons, after three Kosovo police officers were arrested by the Serbian police. Although they were later released, the ruling on Serbian goods remained in effect.
Germany’s special envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said at the beginning of September that this ban blocks the work of CEFTA, and that, because of it, Kosovo may jeopardize its participation in the Berlin Process.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo has welcomed the decision of the Government of Kosovo, because, according to it, the ban has had a negative impact on the commercial interests of the United States of America and the member states of the European Union.
