Belgrade and Sarajevo agree not to take countermeasures against Kosovo

NEWS 27.11.201816:46
FoNet/Aleksandar Levajković

Belgrade and Sarajevo agreed on Tuesday not to introduce any retaliatory moves against Kosovo’s decision to launch the 100 per cent import tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia, the Beta news agency reported.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met separately in Belgrade with the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Crnadak, to discuss the bilateral relations and the coordination of their next steps concerning Pristina’s decision.

A statement from Vucic’s office said he and Crnadak agreed the decision was a breach of both the CEFTA and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Kosovo and the European Union.

The two welcomed a call by the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for Pristina to withdraw the import taxes, while Vucic thanked Crnadak for Bosnia‘s vote against Kosovo Interpol membership.

Serbia‘s President reiterated his country support of Bosnia’s territorial integrity “with the respect of both the Dayton Agreement (the1995 deal that ended the war in Bosnia) and the integrity of Republika Srpska,” the Serb entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Crnadak and his counterpart Dacic said at the the joint media conference that Pristina’s decision showed Kosovo’s hostile attitude toward Serbia and Bosnia.

“It (the decision) could not be seen as a political, or even as an economic step, but only as a clear unfriendly message,” to both countries, Dacic told reporters.

Crnadak agreed. “Such taxes are a hostile message,” he said.

He added that Serbia and Bosnia would not introduce any retaliatory measures and that he was expecting Montenegro to say that Pristina's move unacceptable.

Crnadak added that it was not a blow to the economy and foreign trade, but something much worse, since “it seems that Pristina wants to make a mess.”