Kosovo’s move to slap Serbian imports with a 100 per cent tariff triggered a new surge of tensions between the former war foes on Thursday, with Pristina ignoring European Union calls to reverse the decision.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj insisted the massive tariff would remain “until Serbia recognises Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state”.
That is a red line for Belgrade, which has refused for a decade to recognise the independence of its former southern province, which broke away in a bloody guerilla war.
Kosovo announced the tariff on both Serbian and Bosnian goods on Wednesday after accusing Belgrade of sabotaging its bid to join Interpol, the international police organisation.
Serbia has long fought to thwart Kosovo, which is home to an ethnic Albanian majority, from joining international organisations like the United Nations.
On Thursday there was anxiety in Kosovo’s north that the tariff would trigger a price surge.
“Today I took a few bottles of oil, flour and sugar, just to have them because I do not know how long this will last,” said Milanka, a pensioner living in the city of Mitrovica, which is divided by its ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb populations.
“This is not good, they are playing with people,” she added.
Serbia accounts for more than half of the region’s exports to Kosovo.
But Belgrade has warned that the tariff amounts to a de facto trade ban.
It has already reduced the trade flow, said Kosovo’s customs spokesman Adriatik Stavileci, adding that 20 trucks carrying Serbian and Bosnian goods had turned around at the border.
Belgrade newspapers were also absent on the stands in Mitrovica.
“We cannot bear this 100 per cent tax increase, so there are no newspapers today,” explained Zvezdan Mihajlovic, who works for a firm that delivers papers to the city. Kosovo’s move to slap Serbian imports with a 100 per cent tariff triggered a new surge of tensions, ignoring European Union calls to reverse the decision.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj insisted the massive tariff would remain “until Serbia recognises Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state”.
That is a red line for Belgrade, which has refused for a decade to recognise the independence of its former southern province.
Kosovo announced the tariff on both Serbian and Bosnian goods November 21st after accusing Belgrade of sabotaging its bid to join Interpol, the international police organisation.
On the same day, there was anxiety in Kosovo’s north that the tariff would trigger a price surge.
“Today I took a few bottles of oil, flour and sugar, just to have them because I do not know how long this will last,” said Milanka, a pensioner living in the city of Mitrovica, which is divided by its ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb populations. “This is not good, they are playing with people,” she added.
Serbia accounts for more than half of the region’s exports to Kosovo.
But Belgrade has warned that the tariff amounts to a de facto trade ban.
It has already reduced the trade flow, said Kosovo’s customs spokesman Adriatik Stavileci, adding that 20 trucks carrying Serbian and Bosnian goods had turned around at the border.
Belgrade newspapers were also absent on the stands in Mitrovica.
“We cannot bear this 100 per cent tax increase, so there are no newspapers today,” explained Zvezdan Mihajlovic, who works for a firm that delivers papers to the city.