Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Administrative Crossing Points to Remain Status-Neutral

At the meeting held yesterday in Brussels in the framework of the technical dialogue on IBM, Belgrade and Priština clarified and agreed on technical details for the opening of two administrative crossing points, “Rajetići/Izvor” and “Svirce”, as was agreed at the meeting between two prime ministers held in Brussels on 21 April 2015.

Following the request of Belgrade, the delegations of Belgrade and Priština also agreed to establish customs check points at the “Mutivode” crossing point, given the hitherto absence of customs officers at all crossing points starting from “Merdare” to “Končulj”, which has greatly slowed down placement of goods in the market and made it more expensive.

Weary of constantly refuting Priština's interpretation of the agreements made after nearly every meeting in Brussels in the entire course of the negotiation process between Belgrade and Priština, we must provide responsible and accurate information to the public on this occasion as well and underscore that no “construction of six permanent border crossing points” or “the opening of two new border crossing points” were agreed upon at yesterday's meeting, as Priština emphasised in its press release today, nor has the expression “border crossing point” ever been mentioned in the entire course of the negotiation process between Belgrade and Priština in Brussels.

It is true it was confirmed that we are to continue working with our EU partners on a previously agreed upon project of expanding the existing administrative crossing points in terms of building additional traffic lanes, parking spaces and similar technical amenities, which will ensure a faster movement of people and goods between central Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija.

In addition, it is true that details were specified with regard to the opening of two new administrative crossing points, the opening of which had already been agreed upon by prime ministers at the April meeting in Brussels. The opening of the “Rajetići/Izvor” crossing point (on the road between Novi Pazar and Kosovska Mitrovica via Zvečan) had been requested by Belgrade, whereas the “Svirce” crossing point (on the road between Medveđa and Kamenica) had been requested by Priština, in order to improve and simplify the freedom of movement.

It is also an irrefutable fact that all administrative crossing points will remain exactly the same as before – status-neutral, without any symbols, flags or ramps.

Let us re-emphasise the importance of responsible public information about the dialogue of Belgrade and Priština and let us remind everybody that statements made by dialogue participants may contribute to normalisation or make it more difficult.

Belgrade's delegation at the yesterday's meeting in Brussels was headed by Dejan Pavićević, Liaison Officer with the EU Mission to Priština and Assistant Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and it included not only representatives of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija but also representatives of the Office for Coordination Affairs in the Negotiation Process with PISG in Priština, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Defence, Customs Administration and Republic Geodetic Authority.