Kosovo PM says Serb goods tax ‘should not be linked to talks’

31 Jan, 2019 13:15 / Updated 6 years ago

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on Thursday insisted that talks on normalizing relations with Serbia should continue and should not be linked to Pristina’s tax on Serb goods. Haradinaj pointed out that Kosovo didn’t halt talks with Serbia when Belgrade prevented it from joining Interpol last year, AP said. “The tax is Kosovo’s sovereign decision. It was not set against the dialogue,” Haradinaj said. “Serbia has taken a lot of decisions but none of them has served to push us not to go to the table of talks.” In November, Kosovo set a 100 percent import tariff on Serb and Bosnian goods, saying it would only be lifted when Belgrade recognizes its sovereignty and stops preventing it from joining international organizations. The EU-facilitated dialogue started in 2011. Belgrade says it won’t take part until the tariff is lifted. Serbia does not accept Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence.