Kosovo's Thaci urges government to fulfill US demands

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - President of Kosovo on Tuesday urged the government to urgently abolish 100% import taxes on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as requested by the U.S.

Hashim Thaci on social media said he is asking the government to meet urgently and make decisions in accordance with the official requirements of the U.S.

"You have greatly undermined our special relationship with the U.S., without which we would have neither freedom, nor the state, or the future. This approach is also questioning the future of our state...Relations with the U.S. are vital and irreplaceable for the Republic of Kosovo. Confrontation with the U.S. is very damaging and [would be] an unforgivable mistake in the modern history of Kosovo," Thaci said.

Earlier Tuesday, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he would not abolish taxes without full consensus among partners in the government.

U.S. Senator David Perdue said the U.S. should consider its presence in Kosovo unless the country is fully committed to peace.

He said on Twitter that the U.S. forces have been helping to maintain peace between Kosovo and Serbia for more than two decades, and now "with historic progress in sight, Kosovo must do its part and end all obligations imposed on Serbia."

In 2018, Kosovo imposed 100% customs duty on products imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The move was part of efforts to make Serbia recognize Kosovo’s independence. It marked the end of talks between the two countries initiated by the EU in 2011.

Over the past two years, Kosovo ignored repeated calls from the EU and U.S. to remove the tax.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade insists the country is one of its provinces.

The international community has also remained divided on recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign state.

Over 100 countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, and Turkey, have recognized Kosovo’s independence, while those which have not include Serbia, Russia, and China.