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Kosova

Lifting the ban on goods from Serbia, Hovenier: An important step from Kosovo

Politiko 2024-10-08 18:16:00

Lifting the ban on goods from Serbia, Hovenier: An important step from Kosovo

The American ambassador in Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has expressed his satisfaction with the decision of the Government of Kosovo to remove the restriction on finished goods departing from Serbia.

"This is an important step in the right direction for Kosovo's path towards European integration. We appreciate the international partners for their continuous efforts to promote free trade in the region", he said on Tuesday, through a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The reaction of the American ambassador comes a day after the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has announced that the restriction on goods from Serbia has been lifted at the border crossing point, Merdare. He said that until advanced scanners are provided, there will be strict controls at this point.

A wheat transporter told the media on Tuesday that the waits are long and the controls are strict, although wheat is raw material and has entered Kosovo from Serbia in the past. The Government of Kosovo imposed this ban in July 2023, after the arrest of three Kosovo police officers by the Serbian Police.

They were later released, but the measure remained in place for final goods, not raw materials. The decision to remove the restriction comes after Germany's continuous calls for Kosovo to remove this measure, on the grounds that it is harming the regional market, violating the CEFTA agreement, and thus may endanger participation in the Berlin Process and other regional initiatives. . The tenth summit of the Berlin Process takes place on October 14.

Kosovo has been part of the Berlin Process since its establishment in 2014, and some of the agreements signed within this regional initiative are the agreement on the mutual recognition of identity cards, university degrees, professional qualifications and cooperation in the field of transport, energy . ecology, digitization and roaming.

CEFTA aims to increase trade in goods and services, eliminate trade barriers between the parties and attract investment. It is part of the six countries of the Western Balkans, plus Moldova, since 2006. Kosovo has been a member of CEFTA since 2007, but is represented through the UN mission in the country - UNMIK. Kurti said on Monday that he expects that in the next meeting, Kosovo will be represented with its own name./ REL

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