Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Slovenian Assembly Speaker Dejan Zidan on the continuation of bilateral cooperation, economic relations, upcoming visit of President Borut Pahor to Serbia as well as Kosovo and Metohija, RTS reported.

The officials agreed that the new situation caused by Pristina's introduction of taxes on goods from central Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina has a negative impact on regional stability and that the cancellation of taxes is necessary in order to create the conditions for Belgrade and Pristina to return to the negotiating table.

One of the topics at today's EU leaders' summit in Brussels will be the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Tanjug learned from the European Council.

Heads of state and government of EU member-states will, at the request of Cyprus, on the first day of the summit in Brussels consider the blockade of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, sources from the European Council said.

According to the report, it has been assessed in the Council that the blockade was due to the introduction of Pristina's tax on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH).

The Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres) is opposed to protectionist measures such are the tariffs imposed by Pristina on goods from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, said President of Eurochambres to his Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) counterpart, reported regional broadcaster N1.

The PKS press release said that Eurochambres President Christoph Leitl told PKS President Marko Cadez that his organization has called European institutions to help find a solution to the problem.

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin met in Belgrade with German Ambassador Thomas Schieb and discussed about political and security situation in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the cooperation of Serbia and Germany in the defense area, RTS reports.

Belgrade based daily Blic reports today that Serbia could have an early parliamentary election in the spring. Blic learns that the president of Serbia and the Serbian Progressive Party, Aleksandar Vucic, has talked with his associates and is getting closer to making such a decision.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Austria kept its word and sent important messages over the last six months while chairing the EU, Tanjug news agency reported.

“I have to say I am delighted with an energy Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz invested over the last six months in resolving the Balkans issues. Austria understands very well the problems in the Balkans,” President Vucic said.

He added that Austria and Chancellor Kurz in particular, invested great efforts, energy and work to resolve the issues in a peaceful manner.

Serbian leadership urges the international community and KFOR, under NATO administration, to stop Kosovo-Albanian authorities to form an army, Director of Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Marko Djuric said, Tanjug news agency reported.

Djuric added, forming of such an army would endanger peace in the Balkans. “Announced transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into so-called “Kosovo army” would represent a serious threat to the peace and stability in the region, the most direct violation of UN SC Resolution 1244 and Kumanovo Military-Technical Agreement, Djuric underlined.

President Aleksandar Vucic met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Tanjug news agency reports.

They talked about ways of strengthening the cooperation in the economy, trade and development, as well as about current regional and international affairs of mutual interest, and agreed to work together on improving the economic and, in particular, investment partnership between Serbia and the UAE.

The response of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) to Pristina's 100% customs fees could be a request to exclude Kosovo from the CEFTA agreement, reports portal B92.

Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia-Herzegovina Mirko Sarovic said, commenting on Pristina's measures, aimed also against goods from central Serbia, that there was no need to resort to countermeasures - but that BiH's response could be a request for the exclusion of Kosovo from agreements that guarantee free trade.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said in Prague on Monday that the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija are in danger of facing a humanitarian catastrophe. Brnabic spoke after her meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, and added that the region should return to where it was before Pristina's measures, the Serbian Government said.