Kosovo, Serbia end trade embargo

PRISHTINA, Sept. 4 – A deal to unblock the impasse between Serbia and Kosovo over exports was struck at the sixth meeting of the EU-led negotations in Brussels last weekend. Serbia has agreed to accept goods marked “Kosovo Customs”, while Prishtina has given up on including state emblems, coats of arms, flags, or use of the word “republic”. Kosovo could interpret the label as referring to the customs of independent Kosovo, whereas Serbia could see it as a provincial customs label. The last round of talks was called off in July when it became clear Kosovo and Serbia were not close to compromise over the issue of Kosovo customs stamps. Since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, Serbia has banned the import of products labelled “Republic of Kosovo”, saying Kosovo remains a province of Serbia. Following the collapse of talks in July, Kosovo retaliated by introducing its own ban on Serbian products and launching a police operation to take control of the country’s two northern border posts, which have remained out of Prishtina’s reach.