FLASH NEWS
Vjosa Osmani: We have the law ready to remove tariffs against the US
2025-04-14 17:03:58 / KOSOVA
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has said that the Office of the Presidency has prepared a law that would enable the removal of 10 percent tariffs on goods imported from the US, but that for the approval of this law, a new Parliament must first be constituted.
"We have the law ready that we will propose to the Parliament the moment it is constituted. I have discussed it with many MPs, I am convinced that it will pass," Osmani said in an interview with RTV 21.
On April 3, Osmani asked the government to suspend the 10 percent customs tariff on goods from the US, a day after US President Donald Trump imposed a similar tariff on imports from Kosovo.
Trump's decision included tariffs on most countries in the world with a base tariff of 10 percent, but higher for countries with which the US has a trade deficit.
But the acting Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, had criticized President Osmani's approach, saying that "fiscal policies fall within the scope of the executive" and that these issues should be handled away from the media.
This prompted a reaction from President Osmani's media advisor, Bekim Kupina, who called Murat's response "shameful and scandalous."
Osmani said that this dispute between Kosovo's state institutions has damaged "the interests of the Republic of Kosovo immensely."
"That response was a great loss for Kosovo, because Kosovo had an extraordinary momentum to strengthen its alliance with America, at a time when it was essential for America to be the first country to come up with such a proposal. And I was the president of the first country to come up with that proposal and it was important that we come out first," said Osmani.
The 10 percent tariff on US imports – a tariff that Kosovo imposes on all countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement – is still in effect, even though Murati had said that the government had been considering lifting this tariff on the US for a long time.
Meanwhile, Osmani said that she is working intensively with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
"There are a number of steps that we have already taken, that are in process, and that I cannot make public at the moment because they are being reviewed by the Trump administration," Osmani added.
She also said that she hopes that the new Assembly of Kosovo will be constituted as soon as possible, as she said that this is in the interest of the country.
"Kosovo has a lot of work that needs to be done urgently and the Assembly is necessary for such a thing. Therefore, I remain hopeful that April 15 will be a successful day for all of Kosovo," she said.
A constitutive session of the Assembly is scheduled for tomorrow, where an attempt will be made to constitute the ninth legislature to emerge from the February 9 elections. The PDK, which came in second in the elections, has said that it will not participate in this session.
The LVV, which won 48 seats in the Assembly, has the right to propose the speaker. The constitutive session, scheduled for Tuesday, is considered concluded only after the speaker and deputy speakers have been elected, and the new deputies have taken the oath. 61 votes are required to vote for the speaker.
Only after this, the LVV will be able to continue with its efforts to form the new Government, for which 61 votes are also required. However, earlier on Monday, the acting Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rašić, told reporters that he is not optimistic that a vote will be held on Tuesday for the new Government of Kosovo.
Osmani said that Kosovo needs a stable government, but that it is up to political parties, not her, to decide on this process.
In the interview with RTV 21, Osmani also commented on the recent recognition of Kosovo's independence by Sudan, for which Serbia had cast doubt on "the capacity of the current Sudanese Government to make decisions of vital importance for international relations."
Osmani said that during her stay in Turkey, for the Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, agreements for recognition were reached with other countries.
"But, we have agreed that the process will be formalized in the future, [with countries] that I would not like to mention here because it is important not to jeopardize those processes," said Osmani.
Among these countries with which Kosovo is working to obtain official recognition of independence, Osmani mentioned Syria.
"We as institutions have never sought diplomatic relations with that regime [of Bashar al-Assad], but now with the institutions of free Syria, of course we hope that this process will be consulted and completed as soon as possible," said Osmani./ REL
-
Merz: Germany open to sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine
April 14, 16:51 -
Happening now...
ideas
top
services
- POLICE129
- STREET POLICE126
- AMBULANCE112
- FIREFIGHTER128