Kosovo Decision to Partly Scrap Tariffs Leaves Serbia Unmoved

Serbia has given a grudging response to the Kosovo government's decision on Tuesday to lift the 100-per-cent tariff imposed on imports from Serbia and Bosnia - fully removing the tariff for Bosnia while replacing tariffs more gradually with Serbia in line with a new principle of reciprocity.

Speaking before the cabinet voted on the tariff issue on Tuesday evening, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti - who lost a no-confidence vote on March 25 - said there would not be the "same treatment" for both Bosnia and Serbia. Bosnia "suffers similarly to us", he said just before the vote by ministers, which took place at around midnight, referring to what he called Serbia's "interference" in Bosnian affairs.

He added that he was "convinced that our action on Bosnia will meet the understanding of the people there, though we also want the [Bosnian] institutions to follow this with the abolition of visas between Kosovo and Bosnia.

The measures applied to Serbia will remain in place until June 15, when Kosovo will decide whether Serbia has reciprocated by calling off its diplomatic campaign against recognition of Kosovo's independence from Serbia, declared in 2008.

Currently, as Serbia does not recognize Kosovo, or Kosovo-issued documents, companies from Kosovo have to obtain Serbian certificates and other documents to export goods to the country.

As a result, Kosovo exports to Serbia are not registered as produce of the "Republic of Kosovo". Similarly, truck diver number plates and driver IDs are registered as if they are from within Serbian territory.

From now on, under the reciprocity measures, Kosovo will not allow Serbian products to enter Kosovo unless they are registered as going to the "Republic of Kosovo" and will be controlled by...