Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti has backed off from his plan to lift the tariffs against Serbian goods until his coalition partner Democratic League of Kosovo’s (LDK) also agrees on the measures.
Following a meeting in Pristina with Chancellor Merkel and President Macron’s senior advisers, Jan Hecker and Emmanuel Bonne, Kurti told journalists this morning that he would not send his decision on tariffs for a vote in parliament without getting LDK’s approval first.
“With no consensus within the government, I won’t take the tariff [decision] for a vote [in parliament],” he said.
Kurti’s statement comes after increased pressure from the US to completely drop the tariff instead of the prime minister’s proposal to do so in two stages within March, and in exchange expect Serbia to stop its campaign of “derecognitions” and blocking Kosovo’s membership in international organizations.
LDK leadership has called on Kurti to follow the US suggestion and drop tariffs immediately, with no conditions.
