Kosovo Govt Defends New Reciprocity Measures Against Critics

The decision by the Kosovo government at the weekend to introduce new reciprocity measures against Serbia has sharply divided opinion at home and abroad, with the EU slating the move and some domestic leaders, including the President, also condemning it.

Division emerged as soon as the incumbent government on Saturday obliged the Food and Veterinary Agency to use the emblem and name "Republic of Kosovo" on all sanitary and veterinary certificates, while economic operators from Serbia must now obtain an entry permit for each vehicle transporting goods entering Kosovo from the Liaison Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Serbia.

Incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti - whose government lost a no-confidence vote in parliament in March - defended the decision on Facebook, insisting that it was Serbia that had "changed its approach, making the use of the name 'Republic of Serbia' conditional. We oppose them with reciprocity".

He was supported by the speaker of parliament, Vjosa Osmani, also deputy leader of the former junior governing party, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, who said Kosovo was merely following international trade practice.

But Miroslav Lajcak, EU Special Representative to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, slated the move in a post on Twitter on Sunday. The Slovak diplomat said he was "disappointed about new reciprocity measures introduced by the care-taker government of Kosovo", describing them as "unilateral actions" that "undermine the dialogue-resumption".

[The EU is in charge of a stalled dialogue between Serbia and its former province whose independence it does not recognise.]

Some top politicians in Kosovo were of the same view. President Hashim Thaci on Facebook on Sunday accused Kurti of continuing a policy...