Brnjak becomes intgrated border crossing
The implementation of the Integrated Border Management (IBM) agreement began at administrative crossing between Kosovo and central Serbia in Brnjak, the Zubin Potok municipality, at 8 a.m. CET on Monday.
(KosovoCompromiseStuff) Monday, December 31, 2012
The Serbian police arrived at the crossing on Monday marking the start of the implementation of the IBM agreement.
KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo police and customs are at the crossing as well and there are no major delays in traffic.
There are no national symbols at the location, only traffic signs.
The Kosovo customs officers got to the crossing by helicopter because the road between Pristina and Ribarice was blocked in Zubin potok.
Unlike the Jarinje crossing, Brnjak is in Kosovo and KFOR has a base 50m from the crossing.
Serbs partially blocked the road Pristina-Ribarice in Zubin Potok in en effort to prevent Kosovo customs offcials and border police to come to Brnjak. They said they would remain there.
The roadblocks were there on Monday as well. Passenger, EULEX and KFOR vehicles were allowed to go through.
Brnjak is the second crossing in northern Kosovo where the IBM agreement has been implemented. Jarinje was the first. The agreement was made between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels and refers to freedom of movement.
Companies in northern Kosovo oppose IBM because it allows for import of excise goods of up to 3.5 tonnes, including the weight of the vehicle.
They also state that they wish to pay their taxes to Serbia, and not the Kosovo institutions in Pristina, which is why they organize protests and roadblocks in northern Kosovo.
KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo police and customs are at the crossing as well and there are no major delays in traffic.
There are no national symbols at the location, only traffic signs.
The Kosovo customs officers got to the crossing by helicopter because the road between Pristina and Ribarice was blocked in Zubin potok.
Unlike the Jarinje crossing, Brnjak is in Kosovo and KFOR has a base 50m from the crossing.
Serbs partially blocked the road Pristina-Ribarice in Zubin Potok in en effort to prevent Kosovo customs offcials and border police to come to Brnjak. They said they would remain there.
The roadblocks were there on Monday as well. Passenger, EULEX and KFOR vehicles were allowed to go through.
Brnjak is the second crossing in northern Kosovo where the IBM agreement has been implemented. Jarinje was the first. The agreement was made between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels and refers to freedom of movement.
Companies in northern Kosovo oppose IBM because it allows for import of excise goods of up to 3.5 tonnes, including the weight of the vehicle.
They also state that they wish to pay their taxes to Serbia, and not the Kosovo institutions in Pristina, which is why they organize protests and roadblocks in northern Kosovo.
