Pristina Bans Entry of Goods from Central Serbia without Documents Marked “Republic of Kosovo”

The government in Pristina adopted on May 30 a range of measures which entail a ban on the import of products from Serbia if the goods and the accompanying documents are not marked “Republic of Kosovo”, announced the Kosovo Online portal, citing unnamed sources. According to that decision, companies from Serbia need to provide an entry permit for each vehicle with goods entering Kosovo, and the request for the permit is filed to the Pristina Communication Office in Serbia. The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric, says that this is an attack on European values and the existence of both Albanians and Serbs.

Djuric says that the decision amounts to a total ban on Serbian goods.

– The decision of the temporary authorities in Pristina to block the trade, that is, to implement a whole new ban on Serbia goods is an attack on European values and the existence of Albanians and Serbs alike – Djuric said in a statement published on the website of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

He demands urgent international sanctions against Pristina over “this illegal move, which goes against all local and international norms.”

As he says, Serbia remains fully dedicated to the freedom of the movement of goods, people and capital, in its territory and the region.

– I am convinced that the policy of tariffs, blocks and chauvinistic barriers which affect ordinary citizens and the economy will soon be a thing of the past – Djuric concluded.

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said on RTS that Serbia found Pristina's move unacceptable.

– These are reciprocity measures, which perhaps neither the citizens of Serbia nor the international community recognize as an ever worse measure than the tariffs, which doubled the price of goods, but at least still allowed them to pass through. This time, the government in Pristina decided to pass reciprocity measures, which some countries praise as a step forward. We said immediately that it was unacceptable – says Dacic.

Kancelarija za Kosovo i Metohiju, Beograd

Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije

Ivica Dačić

Marko Đurić

Priština

reciprocity

reciprocity measures

ban on import of products from Serbia