UNMIK/PR 1002
Wednesday, 2 July 2003

Debelldeh/Debelde-Tanusevci Temporary Border Crossing Point Between Kosovo & FYROM
to Open from 7th July 2003

Pristina - On 7 July 2003, a temporary border crossing point between Kosovo and FYROM will become operational at Debelldeh/Debelde-Tanusevci. This will be the first of the two crossing points agreed for opening under the interim protocol on temporary border crossing points signed between UNMIK and FYROM on 22 May 2003. The other temporary border crossing point would be opened at Restelice/Restelica–Strezimir later this year.

“The opening of the temporary border crossing point has been undertaken as a practical measure with the aim of promoting economic activities for people of adjoining villages and does not affect in any way the border demarcation between Kosovo and FYROM” - said the DSRSG for Police and Justice Jean-Christian Cady.

The temporary border crossing point is being opened only for local use and with the specific aim of facilitating economic activities of people residing in the vicinity. As such, only inhabitants of specified villages would be authorized to use the crossing point. These include the villages of Debelldeh/Debelde, Mijak/Mijak, Shashare/Sasare, Buzovik/Buzovik, Bince/Binac, Kabas/Kabash, Drobesh/Drobes and Germove/Grmovo in Kosovo as well as FYROM villages of Tanusevci, Brest and Gosince.

The crossing point will remain open from 1 April to 15 November every year. The operational timings for the border crossing point shall be between 7 am and 7 pm from 1 April to 14 September and between 7 am and 5 pm from 15 September to 15 November.

To use the crossing point people will be required to produce a Border Crossing Card besides a valid Travel Document. For this purpose, UNMIK will issue Temporary Border Crossing Cards for all inhabitants of the listed villages who have already been issued UNMIK Travel Documents. Residents of these villages may collect their Border Crossing Cards free of cost from the Vitina Registration Centre on production of their UNMIK Travel Documents. The Registration Centre is open from Monday to Friday between 8am and 4:30pm.

Persons crossing from this point must return through the same temporary border crossing point no later than the following day.

Those authorized to use the border crossing points will also be allowed to take their livestock into FYROM on a seasonal basis. To ensure the requirements of veterinary and phyto-sanitary controls joint testing and tagging of livestock would be carried out by the Veterinary Services of Kosovo and FYROM before crossing and return of livestock.

Light vehicles, trucks, tractors, motorized bikes and other agricultural vehicles will be allowed to cross through these points provided these vehicles have valid insurance.

Those who intend to move their livestock to FYROM should contact the Directorate of Rural Affairs through the following channels:

Mr. William Gardner (gardner@un.org) 044 156 269 / 038 504 604 ext 6815
Mr. Besfort Gunga (kosovoimport@yahoo.com) 044 156 650 / 038 2525 312
Mr. Qaush Kabashi (qaush.kabashi@dra.dardanet.net) 044 152 222 / 038 2525 310