Osmani: We have the law on the removal of tariffs on the USA, but the constitution of the Assembly is needed

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has said that the Office of the Presidency has prepared a law that would enable the removal of 10 percent tariffs on goods imported from the USA, but that for the adoption of this law, the new Assembly must first be constituted.

"We have the law ready that we will propose to the Assembly at the moment it is constituted. I have discussed with many MPs, I am convinced that it will pass", said Osmani in an interview for RTV 21.

On April 3, Osmani had asked the government to suspend the 10 percent customs tariff on goods from the US, a day after US President Donald Trump imposed a similar tariff on imports from Kosovo.

Trump's decision included tariffs on most countries in the world with a base tariff of 10 percent, but higher for countries with which the US has a trade deficit. But the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, had criticized President Osmani's approach, saying that "fiscal policies fall within the scope of the executive" and that these issues should be dealt with away from the media.

This had prompted a reaction from President Osmani's media adviser, Bekim Kupina, who had described Murat's response as "shameful and scandalous". Osmani said that this dispute between Kosovo's state institutions has harmed "the interest of the Republic of Kosovo immensely".

"That response was a great harm for Kosovo, because Kosovo had tremendous momentum to strengthen the alliance with America, at a time when it was essential for America to be the first country to come up with such a proposal. And I was the president of the first state to come up with that proposal and it was important for us to be the first", said Osmani.

The 10 percent tariff on U.S. imports — as a tariff that Kosovo imposes on all countries with which it does not have a free market agreement — is still in place, even though Murati said the government has been considering removing the tariff for the U.S. for a long time. Meanwhile, Osmani said that she is working intensively with the administration of US President Donald Trump.

"There are a number of steps that we have already taken, that are in the process and that I cannot make public at the moment because they are being reviewed by the Trump administration," Osmani added.

She also said that she hopes that the new Assembly of Kosovo will be constituted as soon as possible, as she said that this is in the interest of the country.

"Kosovo has a lot of work that needs to be done urgently and the Assembly is necessary for such a thing. Therefore, I remain hopeful that April 15 will be a successful day for the whole of Kosovo," she said.

Tomorrow the constituent session of the Assembly is scheduled, where the constitution of the ninth legislature resulting from the February 9 elections will be attempted. PDK, which came out as the second party in the elections, has said that it will not participate in this session.

Vetevendosje, which has won 48 seats in the Assembly, has the right to propose the speaker of the parliament. The constituent session, scheduled for Tuesday, is considered concluded only after the chairman and vice presidents have been elected, and the new deputies have taken the oath. 61 votes are required for the mayor's vote.

Only after that, Vetevendosje will be able to continue with the efforts to form the new government, for which 61 votes are also required. However, earlier on Monday, the acting Minister for Communities and Return, Nenad Rashic, told reporters that he is not optimistic that a vote will be held on Tuesday for Kosovo's new Government.

Osmani said that Kosovo needs a stable government, but that it is up to the political parties and not it to decide on this process. In the interview with RTV 21, Osmani also commented on the recent recognition of Kosovo's independence from Sudan, which Serbia had questioned over the "capacity of the current Government of Sudan to make decisions of vital importance for international relations".

Osmani said that during her stay in Turkey, for the Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, agreements were reached for recognition with other countries.

"But, we have agreed that the process will be formalized in the future, [with countries] that I would not like to mention here because it is important that we do not jeopardize those processes," Osmani said.

Among these countries with which Kosovo is working to obtain official recognition of independence, Osmani mentioned Syria.

"We as institutions have never asked for diplomatic relations with that regime [of Bashar al-Assad], but now with the institutions of free Syria, of course we hope that this process will be consulted and completed as soon as possible," Osmani said./ REL