Deputy leader of the Serbian List Igor Simic told Radio Television of Serbia that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s statement that he was prepared to revoke the 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods is a fabrication.
Thaci told the Washington Post over the weekend that he is “ready to consider lifting the tariffs if a clear way to proceed towards reaching a final peace agreement with Serbia is opened for Kosovo.”
The newspaper said that Thaci met with US Ambassador Richard Grennel in Berlin in December and “pledged to reverse course on the punitive tariffs”.
“Yes, tariffs are an exceptional measure. The willingness from our side to do away with it is there. It becomes a stronger resolve if we feel support and guidance from our partners in this. For my part, I will reassure the Kosovo people that guidance and support is totally there,” Thaci wrote in an e-mail exchange with the US newspaper.
Simic, a deputy leader of the Serb List party, told RTS that every member of Thaci’s party voted to impose the tariffs.
“Thaci’s right hand man, parliament Speaker Kadri Veseli bragged in public that (Prime Minister Ramush) Haradinaj proposed 30 percent tariffs while he called for 100 percent,” Simic said.
According to Simic, Kosovo Albanian leaders are playing what he called a classic game of good cop-bad cop.
