EULEX spokesperson Irina Gudeljevic said Tuesday EULEX would continue to assist in the implementation of the agreement on customs stamps and called for an immediate removal of roadblocks in northern Kosovo. Customs activities are conducted by EULEX experts, but with the presence of Kosovo police and customs officers, she told Tanjug.

Gudeljevic confirmed that this meant EULEX would continue to transport Kosovo customs officials. According to her, EULEX is assisting in the implementation of the agreement on customs stamps signed in Brussels on September 2 as part of the talks between Belgrade and Pristina. The agreement was the missing link required to establish a suitable customs system, she remarked. Kosovo became a single customs area in 2000, and EULEX sees it as such ever since, she explained.

The agreement has nothing to do with status and represents a great step forward in establishing the rule of law in Kosovo, which is in the interest of all the communities, Gudeljevic stated. The absence of such a customs system enabled the development of illegal activities, and not just in northern Kosovo, she added.

She commented on the situation with roadblocks by stressing that freedom of movement has to be re-established by clearing all of the roadblocks. It is in the interest of the local population and the international missions, more precisely KFOR and EULEX, she noted.

Gudeljevic believes those who put up the roadblocks should be the ones to clear them, adding that EU members, and not just EULEX, expect that. EULEX has nothing against peaceful protests, but roadblocks are not a form of that, they obstruct freedom of movement, she underlined. When asked about the solution to the crisis, she responded that dialogue could solve any problems.

All the sides involved should continue their dialogue, but roadblocks have to be removed and freedom of movement established, Gudeljevic concluded.