Money from crossings goes to northern Kosovo fund
Belgrade team head in technical talks with Pristina Dejan Pavicevic stated Friday that the fees collected at the integrated crossings of Brnjak and Jarinje will go to a special fund for development of northern Kosovo.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Friday, January 25, 2013
"The agreement on money that goes to the Fund is clear and it is completely unambiguous how the money from taxes at Jarinje and Brnjak will be collected and distributed. The money will go directly to the Fund and it will be distributed from the Fund for the needs of four municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija," Pavićević told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).
He also said that there are various information coming from Pristina and that the media and the public perhaps paid too much attention to it, adding that it was possible that someone in Pristina was releasing false information for political reasons.
"However, it is very clearly defined how it will be done and how the Fund will look like," Pavicevic said.
There was no information if the EU had already founded the Fund, but it has been agreed that that this should be done as soon as possible, he added.
According to him, the EU has accepted the role of mediator and a guarantor of all agreements that have been reached and that will be reached in the future.
"So, the EU needs to stand by what has been agreed and insist on it. Otherwise, we will not accept the implementation of the agreement," he underscored.
Pavicevic explained that the Fund would have a special account that would be managed by a tripartite board of directors. He added that a Serb, Albanian and international representative would constitute this board, and that it will not be possible to use the money for something that has not been agreed on.
"The crossings will not be border crossings, certain taxes will be collected, and this is something that is defined by UNSC Resolution 1244 as well... that Kosovo is a single customs territory and has a special customs regime, but what we insist on and what has been agreed on during these talks is that all the fees collected should be used for the development of northern Kosovo-Metohija," Pavicevic underlined.
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci reached a temporary agreement on the collection of fees at the Brnjak and Jarinje crossings in northern Kosovo in Brussels last week, with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as an intermediary. It was agreed that the collected fees would go to a fund that would be formed by the EU and would be used exclusively for northern Kosovo, in which Serbs constitute a majority.
He also said that there are various information coming from Pristina and that the media and the public perhaps paid too much attention to it, adding that it was possible that someone in Pristina was releasing false information for political reasons.
"However, it is very clearly defined how it will be done and how the Fund will look like," Pavicevic said.
There was no information if the EU had already founded the Fund, but it has been agreed that that this should be done as soon as possible, he added.
According to him, the EU has accepted the role of mediator and a guarantor of all agreements that have been reached and that will be reached in the future.
"So, the EU needs to stand by what has been agreed and insist on it. Otherwise, we will not accept the implementation of the agreement," he underscored.
Pavicevic explained that the Fund would have a special account that would be managed by a tripartite board of directors. He added that a Serb, Albanian and international representative would constitute this board, and that it will not be possible to use the money for something that has not been agreed on.
"The crossings will not be border crossings, certain taxes will be collected, and this is something that is defined by UNSC Resolution 1244 as well... that Kosovo is a single customs territory and has a special customs regime, but what we insist on and what has been agreed on during these talks is that all the fees collected should be used for the development of northern Kosovo-Metohija," Pavicevic underlined.
Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci reached a temporary agreement on the collection of fees at the Brnjak and Jarinje crossings in northern Kosovo in Brussels last week, with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton as an intermediary. It was agreed that the collected fees would go to a fund that would be formed by the EU and would be used exclusively for northern Kosovo, in which Serbs constitute a majority.
