The latest meeting on implementation of the IBM Agreement took place in Brussels
Brussels, 19 March 2013
The latest meeting was held in Brussels regarding the implementation of the Agreement on Integrated Border Management (IBM), with the Kosovo delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri.
The conclusion of the two-day meeting mediated by the EU was that implementation of the agreement on border crossing points between the Republic of Kosovo and of Serbia is going well, but more effort is required to make progress. Agreement was also reached between the parties on exchanging customs information through the EU SEED project, designed for all states of South Eastern Europe. All countries of the region cooperate on information about the pre-arrival of goods and this will now apply to Kosovo and Serbia, after agreement reached in this meeting.
In addition, discussions continued on starting to build permanent IBM crossing points and it was agreed that during March, joint visits will be organized to the locations where these objects will be constructed and that as soon as possible, a company contracted by the EU will start work in the terrain. They also talked over the level of the implementation of the agreement on freedom of movement. Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri raised the problem of freedom of movement in the north and asked that this issue be urgently addressed, and she also asked that the agreement be implemented at all border crossing points with Serbia, respecting the same standards and practices set out in the agreement.
Cooperation between veterinary and food authorities in the Republics of Kosovo and of Serbia and ways to overcome the problem of the export and import of products of animal origin between the two countries, were among the topics discussed. In this meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri was accompanied by Dren Zeka, Senior Political Advisor of the Deputy Prime Minister, Fisnik Rexhepi, Political Advisor and National Coordinator for the Implementation of IBM, Qemajl Marmullakaj from the Office of Strategic Planning, Shaban Guda, Assistant Director of Border Police, Valdet Gjinovci, Head of the Veterinary and Food Agency and Bajram Rexha, Assistant Director of Kosovo Customs.