Serbia will respect all agreements, official says

LEPOSAVIC Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo Director Aleksandar Vulin says Serbia will respect everything that has been agreed so far regarding crossings management. On Wednesday, he conferred with northern Kosovo businessmen, who are not satisfied with the agreement on customs duties at administrative crossings between Kosovo and central Serbia. Serbia will respect all agreements, official says "I understand their frustration, which is not unreasonable," Vulin told reporters after the meeting held in Leposavic late on Wednesday. He added that the agreement on the registration of goods at administrative crossings "was too restrictive and that it would significantly interfere with the Serbian economy and even, perhaps, cause some shortages." Vulin told the businessmen that Serbia would respect everything that has been agreed so far regarding integrated management of the crossings and that they would have to live with it until expert groups found a permanent solution. "Our expert groups will see how we can overcome this," the Office for Kosovo director noted. He also said that the businessmen had had many useful suggestions and that he had invited them to take part in the work of the Serbian expert groups that will continue on January 10. "We will not give up on the agreement that Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic reached with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, which implies that there will be no customs duties or VAT and that all goods can pass freely to northern Kosovo," Vulin stressed. “The entrepreneurs from the north are not satisfied by the agreement under which no more than three and a half tones of excise goods can be imported,” businessman Dragan Nedeljkovic told reporters. “It will make the excise goods more expensive, because trucks will have to go to central Serbia and back a number of times to bring in less than three and a half tons of cargo each time,” he said, warning that this could cause a shortage of certain goods, particularly of oil and gas. "Road tankers carry seven to eight tons of fuel and fuel cannot by imported in bidons, but rather in the tanks," Nedeljkovic explained, pointing out that the shortage of oil and gas would cause many problems in northern Kosovo. “When it comes to other matters, the businessmen agree with what Vulin told them, he said,” thanking the government's Office for Kosovo director for coming in Leposavic to show and explain the details of the agreement from Brussels to them. Under the agreement, vehicles carrying goods that are not subject to excise tax will be able to enter northern Kosovo without clearance, which also applies to excise goods weighing up to three and a half tons. Aleksandar Vulin (Beta, file) Tanjug

Serbia will respect all agreements, official says

"I understand their frustration, which is not unreasonable," Vulin told reporters after the meeting held in Leposavić late on Wednesday.

He added that the agreement on the registration of goods at administrative crossings "was too restrictive and that it would significantly interfere with the Serbian economy and even, perhaps, cause some shortages."

Vulin told the businessmen that Serbia would respect everything that has been agreed so far regarding integrated management of the crossings and that they would have to live with it until expert groups found a permanent solution.

"Our expert groups will see how we can overcome this," the Office for Kosovo director noted.

He also said that the businessmen had had many useful suggestions and that he had invited them to take part in the work of the Serbian expert groups that will continue on January 10.

"We will not give up on the agreement that Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić reached with Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, which implies that there will be no customs duties or VAT and that all goods can pass freely to northern Kosovo," Vulin stressed.

“The entrepreneurs from the north are not satisfied by the agreement under which no more than three and a half tones of excise goods can be imported,” businessman Dragan Nedeljković told reporters.

“It will make the excise goods more expensive, because trucks will have to go to central Serbia and back a number of times to bring in less than three and a half tons of cargo each time,” he said, warning that this could cause a shortage of certain goods, particularly of oil and gas.

"Road tankers carry seven to eight tons of fuel and fuel cannot by imported in bidons, but rather in the tanks," Nedeljković explained, pointing out that the shortage of oil and gas would cause many problems in northern Kosovo.

“When it comes to other matters, the businessmen agree with what Vulin told them, he said,” thanking the government's Office for Kosovo director for coming in Leposavić to show and explain the details of the agreement from Brussels to them.

Under the agreement, vehicles carrying goods that are not subject to excise tax will be able to enter northern Kosovo without clearance, which also applies to excise goods weighing up to three and a half tons.