- Title: SERBIA: Kosovo braces for Serbian backlash after independence
- Date: 20th December 2007
- Summary: SHOPPING MALL MAN CHECKING THE PRODUCTS FOOD SHELF BISCUITS MADE IN SERBIA BUSINESS OWNER TAHIR HUMOLLI (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) TAHIR HUMOLLI, BUSINESSMAN, SAYING: "For sure the biggest losses will be to Serbia, if they block the border, they are selling their goods and getting money for it." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN SHOPPING MALL (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) MUSTAF BALAJ, CUSTOMER, SAYING: "Actually it would be very good if importing goods from Serbia stopped, for sure here that would cause a short term confusion." MAN CHECKING A JUICE PACKAGE WRITING IN A JUICE CARTON READING "MADE IN SERBIA" CUSTOMERS
- Embargoed: 4th January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Serbia
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVADMJ94RFFGIX5NGOOSI7SD1Q54
- Story Text: As Kosovo prepares to declare independence from Serbia, it is bracing for a backlash by Serbia and a possible bid to stifle the new state.
As the last talks between Kosovo and Serbia failed, Kosovo is moving closer to declaring its independence. But Serbia, which rejects the secession of its Albanian-majority southern province, has an emergency plan of punitive measures to stifle the new state.
Analysts say the measures might include an economic embargo, disruption of electricity supplies and the sealing of borders.
One third of all Kosovo imports comes from Serbia, but only 16 percent of goods are made in Serbia. However, Shpend Ahmeti form Group for Policy Analysis, said that goods that are made in Serbia are replaceable and that new routes for transportation of goods can be found, and as such the impact would be short-term.
"Most of the trade between Kosovo and Serbia is one way, which means all of these goods come from Serbia to Kosovo, estimated at 200 million euros per year, so it means most of the loses from a potential lockdown of the three border crossings that we have with Serbia would be born actually by Serb producers and the Serb economy," said Ahmeti.
Serb economic sanctions against Kosovo could also include disruption of water supplies from northern Kosovo, where Serbs dominate and Belgrade retains de facto control.
Kosovo's power station relies on water from the north for its cooling towers. Any disruption of water supply could cause the plant to stop operating, adding to already crippling power restrictions in the impoverished territory.
Kosovo businessmen Tahir Humolli doesn't see border closures as a major problem since there are other routes that can be used such as through Montenegro. Serbian products, he says, can be replaced by products made elsewhere.
"For sure the biggest losses will be to Serbia, if they block the border, they are selling their goods and getting money for it," said Humolli.
Many Kosovo Albanians are already boycotting Serbian products:
"Actually it would be very good if importing goods from Serbia stopped, for sure here that would cause a short term confusion," one man said.
Washington and the European Union say they will recognise Kosovo independence as the only way out of an impasse, after NATO and the U.N. took over the province in 1999 to halt massive ethnic cleansing by Serb forces fighting an Albanian insurgency.
Russia is not the only power worried about violence in Kosovo if it carries out its vow to declare independence in the first months of next year.
The NATO-led peacekeeping force of 16,000 troops here is also on heightened alert. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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