Kosovo, whose currency is the euro but where some 120,000 Serbs live in the north of the country, has suspended and postponed indefinitely the ban on transactions in Serbian dinars, pressured by several Western countries.
Under pressure from several Western countries, Kosovo finally suspended the initially planned ban on transactions in Serbian dinars.
Last January, the central bank of Pristina announced that from February 1, only the euro would be allowed for cash and electronic payments in the country.
This postponed measure concerns the Serbian community living in the north of Kosovo, which has 120,000 Serbs and uses this currency.
Most of Kosovo’s population uses the euro, although the country is not part of the European Union. However, some regions of northern Kosovo, populated mainly by Serbs, continue to use the dinar. Many depend on the Serbian government for financial support, often provided in dinars and cash.
Most Serbs living in northern Kosovo are civil servants and receive their salaries and pensions in dinars.
Several Western governments denounced Pristina’s decision, fearing a renewed tension between Serbia and Kosovo
The Kosovar government has committed to transition periods so that citizens can adapt as quickly as possible. While specifying that only the euro remains the only official currency.
