EU Spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic said today that stance of Brussels regarding increased Kosovo taxes for the goods from central Serbia “is clear and consistent.” The EU “clearly expects” Pristina to revoke the measures and “both sides” to show restraint from provocations, Tanjug news agency reported.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted today on Pristina’s decision to increase taxes by 100 percent for the goods from central Serbia, Tanjug news agency reported.
The Ministry said, that the EU should influence the Kosovo authorities.
“It is about Pristina starting a trade war, in line with ethnic cleansing policy, given that the Serb population in the Province depends very much on goods from the central part of Serbia,” the Ministry said in a press statement.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commenting on the burning of Serbian goods in Kosovo, said that the worst kind of Nazism is in place, B92 reports.
He made these remarks in a meeting with the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija in Belgrade today, saying nowhere else but in Kacanik could be seen burning of the goods and organizing a pyre. “It is the same as burning Jewish books in Nazi Germany. We have the worst kind of Nazism in place,” Vucic noted.
Abbot of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Visoki Decani Monastery Father Sava Janjic said on Thursday he had “pretty reliable information from both local and foreign sources about talks on the division of Kosovo along ethnic lines, adding the negotiations were held in a narrow circle and in the greatest secrecy, Beta news agency reports.
Introducing of an economic blockade by Pristina authorities for all goods from central Serbia has hit hard particularly Kosovo Serbs, Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery, Father Sava Janjic said, Danas daily reports.
“Regular supplies have been cut off, the existing agreements are not honored & the general situation’s been aggravated. Totally irresponsible,” Abbot Janjic wrote on Twitter.
An official death certificate has been issued in Skopje stating the passing of the father of Goran Stevanovic from the village of Zabevac, near Bujanovac. In the document, this town in central Serbia not far from Kosovo and Metohija, has been placed in "the Republic of Kosovo."
"It's not enough to say I'm confused. After paying about 300 denars (Macedonian currency), I was told politely to come back in half an hour, which I did. When I took over the document, there was a surprise for me. I was confused and angry," Stevanovic told Belgrad daily Vecernje Novosti.
The Appellate Court in Pristina confirmed the verdict of the Basic Court, which acquitted imams, Bedri Robaj, Idriz Bilibani, Enes Goga, Mazllum Mazllumi, and politician, Fuad Ramiqi of charges of inciting hatred and terrorism, KoSSev portal reports.
The Basic Court in Pristina acquitted them in May this year. This court sentenced nine Muslim believers to 35 and a half years in prison on the same day. The accused were, under the order of Lavdrim Muhaxheri, planning to blow up fans and players of the Israeli team in November 2016 during a qualifying match with Albania.
Montenegrin Foreign Affairs Minister, Srdjan Darmanovic said he does not know “why drama was made” in Serbia regarding decision of Montenegro to vote for Kosovo admission in Interpol.
“I do not know why such a big drama is made in Serbia over that. We voted once for Kosovo admission, we did the same this time. We belong to a group of 100 and something countries that recognized Kosovo,” Darmanovic said, adding Montenegro is a constructive partner in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and encourages solution.
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini said on Wednesday that the Kosovo government must immediately abolish the decisions on imposing duties on Serbian and Bosnian goods.
According to the Beta news agency, the EU foreign policy chief said in a statement on Nov. 21 that decision of the Kosovo government to raise the duty on Serbian and Bosnian goods to 100 percent made the situation worse, after Pristina imposed 10-percent duties last week.
The Kosovo government must immediately revoke those decisions, Mogherini said.
Aleksandar Vucic says it has been decided Serbia will not take any countermeasures to Pristina's increase non-tariff barriers on goods from central Serbia. The president spoke late on Wednesday, and said the decision was made at a session of the Council for National Security.