The announcement of the partial annulment of taxes is Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti’s attempt to trick and a hoax – the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic emphasized today, saying that the US Special Envoy to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Richard Grenell is right to criticize this decision. Vucic also alleged that Kurti thus tried to prevent him from talking about tariffs in Washington.
Vucic reacted today to the Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti’s announcement that the tax on imports of raw materials will be lifted on March 15th, while the taxes on all other products would be lifted on April 1st – if Serbia terminates its campaign to withdraw Kosovo’s recognition and removes other barriers.
„Not a single Serbian state authority has reacted in the last 15 hours. We did not want to rush,“ Vucic said. He also said that the US Special Envoy to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Richard Grenell was right to criticize Kurti’s decision. Grenell tweeted that the US does not support the partial abolition of taxes and that Kurti made a „serious mistake“.
Vucic described the move as „an attempted hoax,“ saying that Kurti should „try these tricks on someone else“.
„This is what he came up with. He said that he was abolishing the taxes just a day before my trip to Washington so I couldn’t discuss the issue in Washington. He figured out to say that a day before my stay in Berlin, seven days before his stay in Berlin and two days before the Vienna summit.“
According to Vucic, the abolition of taxes on imports of raw materials was requested by Albanian businessmen due to the economic benefits.
„Is it beneficial? To abolish the tax on our wheat, which you purchase €20 cheaper per tonne than you are procuring it from Northern Macedonia. Well, that’s what Albanian businessmen are asking you to do to make a cheaper dough, but that’s why Serbian final products – chocolates, biscuits, detergent, don’t interest you. Did you come up with this yourself or did someone help you?“ – Vucic said.
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Grenell: Kurti made a serious mistake, the tariffs have to be completely dropped
„Did those that welcome this decision help you come up with it, and we are supposed to pretend that we are very stupid and that we enjoy pretending we are so stupid?!“ the President of Serbia stressed.
We will wait for them to annul the taxes and then talk. Until then – patience – Vucic said.
The European Union, unlike the US, welcomed the decision to suspend taxes on raw material imports.
„I am going to Washington in the morning, I hope all will be well for Serbia,“ said Vucic, who will attend the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) from February 1st to February 3rd.
Thaci and two US ambassadors from Belgrade and Pristina also in Washington
In addition to Vucic, Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci has been visiting Washington since February 23rd. The US ambassador to Pristina, Philip Kosnett and the US ambassador to Belgrade, Anthony Godfrey, who said he was looking forward to Vucic’s arrival, are also staying in the US capital.
„I miss my wife and friends who are in Serbia, but I have been having a really productive week in Washington with fellow ambassadors and leaders like the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and Senator Ron Johnson. I look forward to the visit of the President of Serbia,“ Godfrey tweeted.
Nedostaju mi moja supruga i prijatelji koji su u Srbiji, ali imam zaista produktivnu nedelju u Vašingtonu sa kolegama ambasadorima i liderima poput @SecPompeo i @SenRonJohnson. Radujemo se poseti @predsednikrs. pic.twitter.com/lcsAyf2wOA
— Ambassador Anthony Godfrey (@usambserbia) February 28, 2020
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