its part of all past agreements, in particular the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities and to engage constructively with Serbia in formulating and implementing future agreements. On December 29, 2016, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dačić noted the significance of maintaining the dialogue and implementing all agreements, primarily those that apply to establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities. On December 30, 2016, Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi had stated that he hopes the questions of the Community would be resolved at the beginning of 2017. That never occurred, and deep divisions followed within the government.
2017 train incidentEdit
In January 2017, a train painted in Serbian flag colors and with the words "Kosovo is Serbia" was prevented from crossing into Kosovo. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić stated that Serbia would send its army to Kosovo if Kosovo Serbs are attacked. Kosovo viewed the train as a provocation. Both Serbia and Kosovo mobilized their military forces along the Kosovo-Serbian border.
2018 Kosovo arrest of Serbian politicianEdit
Kosovar special police arrested Serbian politician Marko Đurić visiting Northern Mitrovica in March 2018. Despite being banned from entering Kosovo and warnings by the Kosovo police, Đurić decided to visit the northern part of Mitrovica. The Kosovo police armed with rifles followed by EULEX entered premises where local Serb politicians were having a meeting and arrested Đurić, who according to Pacolli is banned from entering as he "encourages hatred". Commenting on the event, President Vučić called the Kosovo state and police terrorists, and that they were out to take over northern Kosovo.
Trade sanctions (2018–2020)Edit
On 6 November 2018, Kosovo announced a 10% tax on goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The official justification for the new tariff was unfair trade practices and destructive behaviour aimed at Kosovo.
On 21 November 2018, Kosovo announced an increase in the tax rate to 100%. It is believed that the new policy was a response to Kosovo's third failed bid for Interpol membership, a result widely blamed on Serbian campaigning by Kosovar public officials. On the day of the announcement, the Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj publicly tweeted: “Serbia is continuing its aggressive campaign against Kosovo in the int’l stage. (...) To defend our vital interest, Government of Kosovo has decided today to increase the customs tariff to 100%. (...)”
On 1 April 2020, Kosovo abolished the 100% tax.
On 20 January 2020, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to restore flights between their capitals for the first time in more than two decades. Eurowings, the no-frills subsidiary of German flag-carrier Lufthansa, will fly between Belgrade and Pristina. The deal came after months of diplomatic talks by Richard Grenell, the United States ambassador to Germany, who was named special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo relations by President Donald Trump the year before.
In April 2020 Kosovo’s Transmission System Operator, KOSTT, was formally separated from Elektromreža Srbije through a vote by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, ENTSO-E, which paved the way for Kosovo to become an independent regulatory zone for electricity.
The agreement was criticized in Serbia, who accused Pristina and Tirana of pursuing a “Greater Albania of energy”. Marko Djuric, the Serbian government’s liaison for Kosovo released a statement saying that "Serbia is the owner and builder of the power grids in Kosovo and Metohija, for which there is abundant evidence".
2020 economic normalization agreementsEdit
On 4 September 2020, under a deal brokered by the United States, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to normalise economic relations. The deal will encompass freer transit, including by rail and road, while both parties agreed to work with the Export–Import Bank of the United States and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and to join the Mini Schengen Zone, but also to commence rail links between them such as Niš-Pr