Pristina, Tirana "sabotage peaceful resolution of problem"

Despite numerous tensions in the relations with Pristina, representatives of the Serbian government attended today's regular meeting of the CEFTA Joint Committee in Pristina in order to send once more a message of peace and tolerance, and show good will to constructively try to negotiate and solve the issue of imposed tariffs by the Provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, in accordance with the mechanisms and procedures of CEFTA, the Serbian government said on its website.

Although the meeting can be chaired exclusively by UNMIK as the CEFTA agreement chairman for the year 2018, which is in accordance with international treaties and UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Serbia accepted the meeting to be jointly opened by UNMIK and the Provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, proving once again its good will to settle this matter peacefully through dialogue.

The representative of Serbia reiterated at the beginning of the meeting that we expect Pristina to withdraw immediately the radical, illegal and discriminatory measures of 6 and 21 November, which constitute a direct breach of the CEFTA and the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

Immediately after the statement of the representative of the Serbian government, the representatives of the Provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina left the meeting, and UNMIK continued chairing it. Subsequently, the delegation of Albania also left the meeting, leading to a lack of quorum for its continuation. By leaving the meeting, both delegations openly sabotaged the efforts to settle the problem amicably.

Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in...