Dacic demands goods not to be cleared by Jan 10
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic made a demand before EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Friday for goods going to the north of Kosovo not to be cleared at the integrated administrative crossings until January 10 or until an agreement on the allocation of revenues from customs duties was reached.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Friday, December 14, 2012
"The technical level discussions on the subject will be resumed on January 10," Dacic told reporters after meeting with Ashton.
The Prime Minister said that, based on complaints he received from the Serbian businessmen in from the north of the province, he had asked for yet another consideration of the agreement at the technical level.
"This means that until the discussions on how duties will be charged and where the proceeds will go are continued, which should take place on January 10, the goods going to the north of Kosovo should not be cleared" at the crossings, he said.
Dacic said that the working groups would resume their technical level talks, bearing in mind that under an earlier procedure, certain kind of goods, such as the excise goods, were being sent to the administrative crossing Merdare.
"All these issues should be solved in a way that will honor the agreement between Ashton, Hasim Taci and me, which means that without a joint agreement, the goods going to the north of Kosovo should be exempt from customs and other duties until January 10," Dacic said.
He pointed out that there was also an obligation to prevent any possibility of misuse of such an agreement, which means not letting any massive abuse of the interests of the citizens in the north happen under the cloak of the "goods go to northern Kosovo" phrase.
Dacic also said he was pleased with the opinion of the European Council and his talks with Ashton, stressing there had never been a better moment for Serbia's EU integration and that everyone in the EU wanted a positive decision concerning Serbia.
"This is a great opportunity for Serbia, and it will have to wait several years for the next one if it fails to take advantage of this," he said, emphasizing that political stability and unity were necessary to achieve the goal.
The coming period will be marked by a single national policy, political unity and stability, he noted.
The positive opinion from the EU and the great opportunity opened by the European Council allowing Serbia to enter accession talks within 6 months, based on the March opinion, are the result of good relations and risks taken in the EU facilitated dialogue with Pristina, Dacic pointed out.
The Prime Minister said that, based on complaints he received from the Serbian businessmen in from the north of the province, he had asked for yet another consideration of the agreement at the technical level.
"This means that until the discussions on how duties will be charged and where the proceeds will go are continued, which should take place on January 10, the goods going to the north of Kosovo should not be cleared" at the crossings, he said.
Dacic said that the working groups would resume their technical level talks, bearing in mind that under an earlier procedure, certain kind of goods, such as the excise goods, were being sent to the administrative crossing Merdare.
"All these issues should be solved in a way that will honor the agreement between Ashton, Hasim Taci and me, which means that without a joint agreement, the goods going to the north of Kosovo should be exempt from customs and other duties until January 10," Dacic said.
He pointed out that there was also an obligation to prevent any possibility of misuse of such an agreement, which means not letting any massive abuse of the interests of the citizens in the north happen under the cloak of the "goods go to northern Kosovo" phrase.
Dacic also said he was pleased with the opinion of the European Council and his talks with Ashton, stressing there had never been a better moment for Serbia's EU integration and that everyone in the EU wanted a positive decision concerning Serbia.
"This is a great opportunity for Serbia, and it will have to wait several years for the next one if it fails to take advantage of this," he said, emphasizing that political stability and unity were necessary to achieve the goal.
The coming period will be marked by a single national policy, political unity and stability, he noted.
The positive opinion from the EU and the great opportunity opened by the European Council allowing Serbia to enter accession talks within 6 months, based on the March opinion, are the result of good relations and risks taken in the EU facilitated dialogue with Pristina, Dacic pointed out.
