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| Ivica Dacic at RTS studio (archive) |
Speaking today on Serbian public television RTS, the Serbian foreign minister said that Serbia would not continue the dialogue until these measures are repealed.
Dacic estimates that the ban on the import of goods from Serbia without documents, written by the destination "Republic of Kosovo", is a worse measure than the 100 percent tax on Serbian goods.
"This is a measure of reciprocity, which perhaps neither the citizens of Serbia nor the international community recognized as an even worse measure than the tax, which doubled the price of goods, but at least allowed the goods to pass. This government in Pristina decided to apply reciprocity measures, which was welcomed by some countries as a step forward. We immediately said that this is unacceptable," said the Serbian Foreign Minister.
According to him, by accepting these measures, Serbia would recognize Kosovo.
"We do not intend to continue the dialogue until taxes and reciprocity are lifted. This is unacceptable to us and a denial of all agreements. We rightly expect a reaction from the international community. Richard Grenell reacted to this even earlier and said that the application of reciprocity is bypassing the tax abolition", he said.
According to him, the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is now in a "respiratory" condition.
"Dialogue is at a stage where it does not exist, and in this whole situation, various international factors have tried to give artificial respiration to the dialogue, Merkel, Macron. The approach of the US administration is different from that of Biden and Hillary Clinton," said the Serbian foreign minister.
Commenting on the new government to be formed in Pristina, Dacic says these are things that Serbia cannot and does not want to influence.
"Any government [of Kosovo] must declare whether or not it adheres to all agreements. "They are all the same."
"They want Kosovo's independence, they want Serbia to accept it. And this is no dialogue and we do not accept it. They do not understand the changes that have taken place, they expect the international community to bring them everything they expect," said the Foreign Minister.
The head of Serbian diplomacy says that "Pristina is behaving like a pet child, who is used to the international community fulfilling all possible wishes."
"It is no longer the case today, and it depends on how strong, stable and united Serbia will be. And our position is extremely strong. There is no conversation until the reciprocity measures are repealed. Serbia will not recognize Kosovo. It wants dialogue, compromise. If they think the compromise is for Serbia to recognize Kosovo, that is not possible."
While the Government of Kosovo in office has held an online meeting in the late hours of Saturday, where it decided to change and supplement the decision on the gradual implementation of reciprocity, as a principle in relations with Serbia.
According to the Government's announcement, amending the previous decision on trade relations with Serbia means banning documents on agricultural and industrial products that use the names of countries that contain other elements contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the names of countries in The Republic of Kosovo, but without the name of the state, which do not refer to the Republic of Kosovo and contain any element that denies the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo.