Koha Ditore: Dialogue and Reciprocity Measures toward Serbia According to Kosovo Assembly Resolution

Albin Kurti (Beta/Armenija Zajmi Besevic)

Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti has said that reciprocity measures toward Serbia will be applied in accordance with a resolution passed by the Kosovo Assembly on Dec. 2, 2011, while the dialogue will continue based on another resolution that will be prepared by the incumbent government and sent to the assembly for adoption, the Koha Ditore newspaper reported on Feb. 10.

According to the daily, the Self-Determination and the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo demanded that these be the principles that will serve as the foundation for the talks with Serbia.

The 2011 resolution has three points, of which the first one obliges the Kosovo Assembly to take measures of full political, economic and trade reciprocity toward Serbia.

The second point obliges the Kosovo Ministry of Trade and Industry to “encourage and cooperate with domestic producers and other trade companies in finding replacements for Serbian products,” whereas the third point demands from the government to strengthen all state mechanisms to ensure the strict implementation of the said measures.

Several months after the adoption of the resolution, the then premier and current Kosovo president, Hashim Thaci, had sent to the assembly another resolution, adopted by MPs, whereby the first resolution was annulled.

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the daily that Premier Albin Kurti’s cabinet is working on the reciprocity measures. Earlier, Kurti announced that the “full political, economic and trade reciprocity” with Serbia will be introduced, whereby the 100 percent tax on the import of Serbian goods will be replaced.

On Dec. 12, 2018, the Kosovo Assembly adopted a resolution on the dialogue with Serbia envisaging the forming of a new state delegation authorized to make decisions concerning the dialogue, while the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia be an issue on which a decision will be passed at a consultative referendum in Kosovo.