Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that, despite the decision to lift the ban on Serbian imports through the Merdare crossing, he expects that Pristina’s authorities will “do all in their power” to prevent the free flow of goods and services.
Kosovo’s Internal Affairs Ministry has replaced the import ban with “detailed inspections” for Serbian products at Merdare, reported Koha.net.
“This is important for Serbia’s economy, but will they do everything they can to block it – yes. He (Albin Kurti) will now come up with the excuse of needing scanners, then he’ll wait 22 months for them, and keep inventing new delays. He knows that when things are done by the rules, respecting the basic freedoms supported by the EU and the civilized world, Serbia – being the dominant economy in the Western Balkans – can pursue its interests,” Vucic said in Hamburg, where he participated in the Hamburg Sustainability Conference.
He said he has no faith in Pristina’s willingness to implement the Brussels Agreement “or any other agreement.”
“I expect that on the third day they will stop someone for some reason, starting day four they will close the entire crossing, on the fifth day they’ll claim to have found two bullets that they planted themselves, and then they will say they are closing it for the next 11 months while they wait for scanners or some other tricks. This won’t change because I know them well,” said Vucic.