Today, 13 November 2016, representatives of both parties under the EU facilitation reached an arrangement on further implementation of the agreed and signed Telecommunications Agreement from 2013 and the 2015 Action Plan stemming from this Agreement.
The agreements will ensure that a three-digit dialing code is allocated by the International Telecommunications Union to Kosovo.
The arrangement enables the newly-established subsidiary company Mts d.o.o to operate fully-licensed fixed telephone services in Kosovo and to obtain a temporary authorisation for mobile telephony. Kosovo will be allocated a three digit dialing code by ITU, at the same time that the new company will become operational.
The parties agreed on the mobile telephony and frequency bands and spectrums to be allocated to Mts d.o.o in Kosovo, enabling it to continue to provide the current level of coverage to its customers. The arrangement also enables the transfer of assets to Mts d.o.o without any customs, taxes or charges.
The parties agreed on a migration period of two years during which a dual numbering approach will be used, in order to allow customers of the new company to continue using their existing number in Kosovo in which the company operates.
In the coming weeks, both parties will implement a series of measures under the EU’s facilitation to execute this arrangement. All draft documents linked to the licenses, the transfer and registration of assets will be completed by 28 November.
The parties will then review these documents and, if they agree that the documents are in accordance with the Telecommunications Agreement from 2013, the 2015 Action Plan and the Conclusions of the EU facilitator, Serbia will send a letter to the ITU on 3 December agreeing that a three-digit code can be allocated to Kosovo.
The EU welcomes this outcome and urges both sides to accelerate progress on all other outstanding Agreements implementation work, in particular the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities and on Energy.
