Wednesday’s decision appears to be retaliation against what Deputy…

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Kosovo’s government says it will put a 100-percent import tax on all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as diplomatic tensions rise. After a bloody war in 1999, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, something that Serbia and its ally Russia do not recognize while the U.S. and most Western countries do. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called the national security council, Serbia’s top body dealing with the military and police, to address the issue, according to state Tanjug news agency. Bosnia’s Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister Mirko Sarovic said: “This is the biggest blow to the regional free trade zone.”

According to official figures, Serbia’s exports to Kosovo amounted to 440 million euros ($500 million), while imports amounted to 21 million euros. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on Kosovo to revoke the decision, saying that “is a clear violation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and of the spirit of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo.”

Zahir Tanin, head of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo, also expressed his “concern regarding the potential impact on the people of Kosovo as well as the political implications on the dialogue and normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.”

Kosovo and Serbia have been in European Union-mediated negotiations for seven years. An EU official said they wanted the measures withdrawn quickly so work could continue towards normalising relations, a precondition for both sides for entering the European Union.
Kosovo puts a 100% trade tariff on all goods imported from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European Union says this is a "clear violation" of the Central European Free Trade Agreement.