Customs Administration to respect govt's decision
The Serbian Customs Administration will be involved in the integrated management of the crossings (on the administrative line with Kosovo in the way determined by the Serbian government, Tihomir Bogicevic, head of the Serbian Customs Administration, stated on Tuesday.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Tuesday, December 11, 2012
"The Customs Administration will definitely be involved one way or another, primarily in the way and in the format determined by the Serbian government," Bogicevic told.
He said that the Serbian Customs Administration has been indirectly involved in the operation of the administrative crossings, adding that when it comes to the integrated management of crossings technical details have not been fully agreed yet.
Speaking about the flow of goods from Kosovo-Metohija, Bogicevic said that the European view, which is not mentioned that often, is that Kosovo-Metohija is probably the black hole of Europe for different forms of crime.
"That basically means that many routes of human and drug, possibly arms, trafficking are stretching through Kosovo. Of course, not all of the routes are going through Serbia, there are a number of branches," Bogicevic explained.
For this reason, various state bodies are oriented towards prevention of trafficking, including the police and the customs service, with a focus on flow of goods from Kosovo-Metohija, he said.
Based on the agreement reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the integrated crossings at Jarinje and Merdare were opened on Monday. There are no state symbols at the locations, and control is exercised by multiethnic teams including representatives of EULEX, the Serbian Interior Ministry, the Kosovo police and officials of the Kosovo and EULEX customs service.
He said that the Serbian Customs Administration has been indirectly involved in the operation of the administrative crossings, adding that when it comes to the integrated management of crossings technical details have not been fully agreed yet.
Speaking about the flow of goods from Kosovo-Metohija, Bogicevic said that the European view, which is not mentioned that often, is that Kosovo-Metohija is probably the black hole of Europe for different forms of crime.
"That basically means that many routes of human and drug, possibly arms, trafficking are stretching through Kosovo. Of course, not all of the routes are going through Serbia, there are a number of branches," Bogicevic explained.
For this reason, various state bodies are oriented towards prevention of trafficking, including the police and the customs service, with a focus on flow of goods from Kosovo-Metohija, he said.
Based on the agreement reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the integrated crossings at Jarinje and Merdare were opened on Monday. There are no state symbols at the locations, and control is exercised by multiethnic teams including representatives of EULEX, the Serbian Interior Ministry, the Kosovo police and officials of the Kosovo and EULEX customs service.
