According to political experts and representatives of the Kosovo opposition, there is no reason to rejoice after the five-hour-long meeting between Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and Serbia’s Ivica Dacic. Opposition and experts claim that implementation of the IBM agreement would seriously harm Kosovo’s sovereignty and “seal” a different type of approach for the north.
According to Vetëvendosje, the agreement specifies that goods entering Kosovo will not be subject to customs duties at the northern border with Serbia, but at a terminal in Mitrovica; Serbs living in the north will be exempted from taxes.
“It was also reported that a percentage from the collected VAT will go to Serb parallel structures in the north. If this is the agreement, then it turns out that Serbia’s illegal structures will from now on be funded with public money that were supposed to be deposited at the Kosovo budget,” said Vetëvendosje’s Dardan Molliqaj, adding that this arrangement means autonomy for the north.
