Mogherini: Kosovo to abolish tariffs on Belgrade

Mogherini: Kosovo to abolish tariffs on Belgrade

The European Union has appealed to the United Nations Security Council to play a more active role in normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, stamping their mark on a future legal agreement between the two states.
“Your role is the main role and we are ready to intensify conversations with all Security Council members," Mogherini said from New York.
Invited to a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, repeated that to open the way for dialogue, the parties, and especially Pristina, should give up on extremist policies.
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini detailed that Kosovo needs to abolish tariffs so that dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina could progress further.
She added that the final agreement must be in accordance with international law and supported by the Security Council of the United Nations.
Talking about the priorities of EU foreign policy, she spoke of the reconciliation of Western Balkan countries as a contribution to the EU's multilateralism in the world.
“Tariffs imposed by the government of Kosovo have to be abolished so the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina could be continued”, Mogherini underlined.
“She went on to say that she would arrange a meeting the same day as the tariffs are retracted, in order to achieve a comprehensive and legal agreement to resolve all open issues and normalize the relationship between Belgrade and Pristina.
Even though she has been tasked with mediating the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the EU High Representative pointed out that the outcome does not belong either to her or to the EU, but to the parties taking part in the process.
“It is up to them to reach an agreement which both parties deem acceptable and suitable,” Mogherini stated. Kosovar Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj reacted today to the comments made by EU Mogherini, reminding her that talks with Serbia have been hampered many times before when Serbia set 100 % tariffs. He concluded:
“Dialogue has been negatively impacted due to lack of transparency, proposals for territorial swaps and non-compliance of the existing agreements. The tariffs should not factor into the equation when it comes to our negotiations.”

EMISIONET