Temporary deal is "in interest of Kosovo Serbs”

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA The temporary agreement on customs duty collection reached in Brussels is in complete accordance with interests of Kosovo Serbs, says Krstimir Pantic. The deputy director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo told Tanjug that the Serbian side had managed to “avoid traps and reach a solution that is in complete accordance with interests of the Serbian people living in Kosovo and Metohija”. Temporary deal is "in interest of Kosovo Serbs” “Starting from the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Serbian parliament’s Resolution and President Tomislav Nikolic’s Platform that a solution that will include an essential autonomy for Serbs, a temporary agreement on payment of VAT and excise taxes at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings was reached in Brussels,” Pantic, who is also a Kosovska Mitrovica mayor, explained. “Money that will be collected at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings will be transferred to an account of the fund for the development of four municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija that will be established,” he stressed. He added that the fund’s account would be completely independent from the Kosovo consolidated budget and that any connection between the administrative crossings in the north and the Pristina institutions would therefore be avoided. Pantic added that three representatives would run the fund – representatives of the Serb and Albanian communities and a representative of the international community. “A rule book for the fund will be determined subsequently but we insisted that a representative of the Serb community cannot be outvoted and that the money collected during a budget year must be spent the same year so funds would not be blocked,” he pointed out. He confirmed that a joint session of four northern Kosovo municipalities would be held on Monday. Pantic will at the session present his report on talks in Brussels and explain the details of the temporary agreement that “can be suspended in case of violation”. Leposavic Mayor Dragisa Vasic said earlier today that representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs would on Monday discuss the temporary agreement. He told Tanjug that they expected Pantic to inform them about the temporary agreement at the meeting. “I expect us to come out with an official position then and I cannot comment on the agreement that was reached in Brussels before that,” Vasic said. He added that northern Kosovo mayors and municipal assembly speakers would meet first and that they would later be joined by councilors and other political representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs. Entrepreneurs and political representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs stated earlier that they did not want to pay taxes to Pristina and that they wanted to be incorporated into the tax system of the Republic of Serbia. They warned that they would otherwise organize protests, including blockades of roads in northern Kosovo. Zubin Potok Mayor Slavisa Ristic said earlier on Friday that “Serbs will not pay customs duty and taxes to the unrecognized state of Kosovo”. Krstimir Pantic (Beta, file) Tanjug

Temporary deal is "in interest of Kosovo Serbs”

“Starting from the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Serbian parliament’s Resolution and President Tomislav Nikolić’s Platform that a solution that will include an essential autonomy for Serbs, a temporary agreement on payment of VAT and excise taxes at the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings was reached in Brussels,” Pantić, who is also a Kosovska Mitrovica mayor, explained.

“Money that will be collected at the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings will be transferred to an account of the fund for the development of four municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija that will be established,” he stressed.

He added that the fund’s account would be completely independent from the Kosovo consolidated budget and that any connection between the administrative crossings in the north and the Priština institutions would therefore be avoided.

Pantić added that three representatives would run the fund – representatives of the Serb and Albanian communities and a representative of the international community.

“A rule book for the fund will be determined subsequently but we insisted that a representative of the Serb community cannot be outvoted and that the money collected during a budget year must be spent the same year so funds would not be blocked,” he pointed out.

He confirmed that a joint session of four northern Kosovo municipalities would be held on Monday. Pantić will at the session present his report on talks in Brussels and explain the details of the temporary agreement that “can be suspended in case of violation”.

Leposavić Mayor Dragiša Vasić said earlier today that representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs would on Monday discuss the temporary agreement.

He told Tanjug that they expected Pantić to inform them about the temporary agreement at the meeting.

“I expect us to come out with an official position then and I cannot comment on the agreement that was reached in Brussels before that,” Vasić said.

He added that northern Kosovo mayors and municipal assembly speakers would meet first and that they would later be joined by councilors and other political representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs.

Entrepreneurs and political representatives of northern Kosovo Serbs stated earlier that they did not want to pay taxes to Priština and that they wanted to be incorporated into the tax system of the Republic of Serbia.

They warned that they would otherwise organize protests, including blockades of roads in northern Kosovo.

Zubin Potok Mayor Slaviša Ristić said earlier on Friday that “Serbs will not pay customs duty and taxes to the unrecognized state of Kosovo”.