US State Secretary Mike Pompeo has called on Kosovo authorities to abolish the tax on goods form Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (increased by 100 percent). Pompeo did this during his meeting in Washington on Monday with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, B92 reports.
The US official “encouraged Kosovo to seize this unique window of opportunity to reach a historic comprehensive normalization deal with Serbia under the EU-facilitated Dialogue process,” a press release from the US State Department said.
“He urged Kosovo authorities to rescind the tariffs placed on imports from Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina, and to work with Serbia to avoid provocations and deescalate tensions,” the press release continued.
Pompeo also said that “normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia is the only way to clear the path to both countries’ future integration into the Western community of nations” and that the United States is “ready to help and support the parties to reach a solution that is durable, implementable, and increases stability.”
According to the press release, Pompeo “reaffirmed steadfast US support for a sovereign, independent Kosovo, fully integrated into the international community.”
This was the first US reaction to the increase of taxes on goods from central Serbia that was this clear in condemning Pristina’s act, B92 reported.
