The meeting on Local Elections and Customs ended in Brussels

Brussels, 1 October 2013

On the first day of technical talks in Brussels – mediated by the European Union – it was discussed about local elections, customs and implementation of the agreement on liaison exchange.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Edita Tahiri said that during the discussions, the preparation process for local elections on November 3 was praised. Tahiri said that she criticized the phenomenon of provocative and nationalist gestures by Serbia’s officials in various parts of Kosovo. In particular, she stressed the importance of respecting neighborly relations and normalizing inter-state relations by respecting and implementing in full the Brussels agreement. In the meeting, the parties agreed that the local election process is a democratic path that enables citizens to choose the subjects and candidates they want and she called for a large turn-out in the elections.

With regard to the meeting on customs, Tahiri said that they talked about the process of preparations relating to the Development Fund, as well as obstructions to freedom of movement that remain present in the northern part of Kosovo. In this respect, she emphasized that she has raised concerns about constant obstruction to freedom of movement in the northern area, mentioning the act of violence towards the EULEX staff, resulting in the death of one EULEX member. She also mentioned the case when the so-called Civil Defense erected a barricade obstructing the movement of Kosovo customs and police officials on their way to the customs point in Jarinje. Tahiri asked the Serbian party to respect the agreement on customs which requires the free movement of Kosovo authorities and she asked for additional engagement of EU to resolve the issue of road transport at the border crossing point at Bërnjak.