Kosovo’s government says it is lifting restrictions on trade from Serbia at one border crossing, , 16 months after it halted imports to prevent what it said could be hidden shipments of weapons for Serb separatists. The reopening is in line with efforts by Western partners to promote reconciliation and cooperation between the two neighboring Balkan nations. Tensions between them flared in May 2023 when Kosovo police seized municipal buildings in Serb-majority communities in northern Kosovo where residents rejected the ethnic Albanian mayors elected in a vote boycotted by Serbs. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the Merdare border crossing would reopen with stepped-up monitoring of goods. The other five will open once they are equipped with new scanners.
