Serbia Will Resume Kosovo Talks Only After Tariff Removal, Vucic Tells Trump – Reuters

BELGRADE – Serbia is prepared to recommence discussions with Kosovo regarding the normalization of relations, but only after Pristina removes import tariffs on Serbian products that were implemented last year, President Aleksandar Vucic stated in a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump.

In 2013, Serbia and Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 following a conflict, committed to an EU-mediated dialogue aimed at resolving their outstanding issues. However, progress has been minimal.

Tensions escalated last year when Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods in reaction to Belgrade’s attempts to block Kosovo’s membership in international organizations, including the United Nations.

On December 14, Trump sent letters to both Vucic and Kosovo’s leader, Hashim Thaci, encouraging them to reach an agreement.

Vucic, who has transitioned from a former ultra-nationalist stance to a pro-Western approach, is determined to guide Serbia towards European Union membership, which requires Belgrade to address its disputes with Kosovo first. His government has faced weeks of street protests from opponents, some of whom claim he is compromising Serbia’s interests for the sake of joining the West.

In his letter to Trump, Vucic described the import tariffs imposed by Kosovo as “a burden and an insurmountable obstacle for the continuation of the dialogue.” Both the EU and the United States have urged Kosovo to lift these tariffs, but Pristina has yet to comply.

“I want to stress … that the very moment when Pristina annuls that senseless and damaging measure, we are ready to resume dialogue,” Vucic wrote.

Serbia, along with its allies Russia and China, and five EU member states, continues to oppose Kosovo’s independence. According to Serbia’s Chamber of Commerce, the country could face annual economic losses of approximately 250 million euros, equivalent to around 0.7 percent of its gross domestic product, as a result of Kosovo’s tariffs.

Additionally, Vucic extended an invitation to Trump to become the first U.S. President to visit Serbia in over 40 years.