"Spoke to President @HashimThaciRKS: reiterated that the tariffs need to be revoked so #Dialogue is resumed as soon as possible. Normalisation of relations crucial for #Kosovo #Serbia #WesternBalkans #EU. No more time to lose," Mogherini wrote on Twitter on Friday.
Kosovo introduced 100 percent tariffs on goods from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in November, at the same time banning all goods that were not marked in line with Kosovar regulations. However, several foreign companies running the production on Serbia's soil were reportedly exempted from the tariffs.
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Thaci has said in an interview with Sputnik that the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo should be unconditional and cannot be tied to the removal of Pristina's recently imposed tariffs. According to various media reports, taxes on Serbian imports were hiked after Pristina accused Belgrade of lobbying against having it be accepted into Interpol.
Kosovo's Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has said that the tariffs would remain in place "until Belgrade recognizes the independence of Kosovo".
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Serbia said the measure has led to losses averaging $49 million a month and shortages of medicine and other necessities in the Serbian-majority regions of Kosovo.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Belgrade continues to consider it part of the Serbian territory.
Two members of the UN Security Council — Russia and China — and a number of other countries do not recognize Kosovo's independence either. Belgrade and Pristina began EU-mediated reconciliation talks in 2011.
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