“N. Kosovo Serbs won’t pay customs duty to Priština”

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA Zubin Potok Mayor Slavisa Ristic has said that Kosovo Serbs will “not pay customs duty and taxes to unrecognized state of Kosovo”. “Our position has been clear from the beginning and that is that we want to be in the customs system of the state of Serbia and pay our taxes to it, let the funds be formed then and they can use the money the way they see fit,” he told Beta news agency. “N. Kosovo Serbs won’t pay customs duty to Pristina” Ristic rejected Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic’s claim that an agreement that northern Kosovo Serbs wanted had been reached. “We will not sell ourselves for any amount of money to (Kosovo Prime Minister) Hashim Thaci,” he underscored. Zvecan Mayor Dragisa Milovic said on Friday that he had only heard about the agreement reached in Brussels from the media and that he therefore could not comment on it. He told Beta news agency that a meeting of mayors, municipal councilors, district heads and political parties of northern Kosovo towns would be held on Monday where they would define their position and determine plans for further actions. “We hope that we will by then have true and full information about what this, as they say, temporary agreement means, how temporary it is and how it will be implemented,” Milovic noted. He reiterated that the request of the heads of local self-governments and businessmen from northern Kosovo was unchanged and that they requested to be a part of Serbia’s VAT system and to pay taxes on goods intended for northern Kosovo to Serbia. “We are not interested which fund the money will go to and how it will be distributed. It is important to us that we are not separated from Serbia,” Milovic pointed out. Dacic said early on Friday that the temporary agreement had been reached at a meeting with Thaci in Brussels according to which money from customs would go to a special fund formed under the auspices of the EU and that it would be used for the development of the north of the province. “All taxes for goods that go to northern Kosovo would be paid to the fund, in which northern Kosovo Serbs, Pristina authorities and the EU, which should establish the fund, would take part and it would be a temporary solution,” the prime minister explained. He noted that the agreement had fulfilled the request of northern Kosovo Serbs who do not want the customs fees to go to Pristina’s budget. On the other hand, Pristina media reported after the meeting that Thaci had said that “an agreement was reached to collect customs in accordance with the Kosovo law” and that Serbia had assumed responsibility to dismantle the so-called parallel security structures in Kosovo. Beta Tanjug

“N. Kosovo Serbs won’t pay customs duty to Priština”

Ristić rejected Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić’s claim that an agreement that northern Kosovo Serbs wanted had been reached.

“We will not sell ourselves for any amount of money to (Kosovo Prime Minister) Hashim Thaci,” he underscored.

Zvečan Mayor Dragiša Milović said on Friday that he had only heard about the agreement reached in Brussels from the media and that he therefore could not comment on it.

He told Beta news agency that a meeting of mayors, municipal councilors, district heads and political parties of northern Kosovo towns would be held on Monday where they would define their position and determine plans for further actions.

“We hope that we will by then have true and full information about what this, as they say, temporary agreement means, how temporary it is and how it will be implemented,” Milović noted.

He reiterated that the request of the heads of local self-governments and businessmen from northern Kosovo was unchanged and that they requested to be a part of Serbia’s VAT system and to pay taxes on goods intended for northern Kosovo to Serbia.

“We are not interested which fund the money will go to and how it will be distributed. It is important to us that we are not separated from Serbia,” Milović pointed out.

Dačić said early on Friday that the temporary agreement had been reached at a meeting with Thaci in Brussels according to which money from customs would go to a special fund formed under the auspices of the EU and that it would be used for the development of the north of the province.

“All taxes for goods that go to northern Kosovo would be paid to the fund, in which northern Kosovo Serbs, Priština authorities and the EU, which should establish the fund, would take part and it would be a temporary solution,” the prime minister explained.

He noted that the agreement had fulfilled the request of northern Kosovo Serbs who do not want the customs fees to go to Priština’s budget.

On the other hand, Priština media reported after the meeting that Thaci had said that “an agreement was reached to collect customs in accordance with the Kosovo law” and that Serbia had assumed responsibility to dismantle the so-called parallel security structures in Kosovo.