Warnings are given of barricades in the north, Kosovo says it is enforcing the license plate law

The chairman of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, has warned of blocking the roads in the north of Kosovo, if Kosovo takes any action to confiscate cars with Serbian license plates. But the authorities in Pristina said that Serbia is threatening violence only because Kosovo is enforcing the law.

Rakic made these statements after the meeting of the Serbian List with the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, in Belgrade, as on October 31 the two-month deadline set by the Government of Kosovo for the conversion of license plates issued by Serbia to RKS ones is expected to expire.

“If Pristina starts enforcing the confiscation of vehicles, we will block all crossings and entrances from the north to central Kosovo,” Rakic told a news conference in Belgrade.

“Neither do I know, nor do any of us who live down there [know] what the situation will turn into if someone violently starts taking our property,” he added.

Osmani: Serbia is threatening violence, Kosovo is enforcing the law

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that with the implementation of the decision on the re-registration of cars, Kosovo is implementing the law.

During a media conference in Pristina on October 27, Osmani said that Pristina will work with the international factor, so that, as she said, destabilizing scenarios in the region are prevented.

“Serbia is threatening violence because Kosovo is implementing the law. This is the big picture that we insist that we all see, which is above all a matter of the rule of law, a matter of respecting the highest international principles and standards, which Kosovo is respecting. All we are doing is enforcing the law and protecting all citizens, without distinction. And as a result of this, Serbia is threatening with violence, with barricades which, as you know, are a violation of freedom of movement”, said Osmani.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, meanwhile, on October 27 during an event, again called on the Serbs in Kosovo to re-register their cars.

According to the institutions of Kosovo, until October 27, 20 cars have converted license plates to RKS, including one that was burned on October 26 due to the re-registration.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo, since September 1, due to RKS license plates, three incidents have been registered, which include the burning of cars and other properties of Serbs who have re-registrated their license plates to RKS.

The meeting between the representatives of the Serbian List and the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, took place five days before the deadline for the re-registration of cars in Kosovo expired. After this meeting, Serbia held a National Security meeting.

The vice president of the Serbian List, Millan Radoicic, who is wanted in Kosovo for intimidation of witnesses in the court case known as “Brezovica”, was also present at the meeting in Belgrade. This case concerns the issuance of illegal permits in the Brezovica tourist center in the Municipality of Strpce.

Radoicic is also on the black list of the United States under the suspicion that, together with the businessman from the north of Kosovo, Zvonko Veselinovic and dozens of other Serbs, they belong to a network connected to international organized crime.

Vucic warns of “resistance” of the Serbs

After the meeting of the National Security Council, Vucic declared that they will continue to use KM license plates (Kosovska Mitrovica). He also warned that the Serbian people will make “resistance” if Kosovo prevents movement with license plates issued by Serbia.

“Their [Kosovo] plan is for those vehicles to leave [Kosovo], not allowing them to return to the territory of Kosovo,” he said.

Vucic said that “we are ready to continue the talks, but there are things we cannot accept. We have informed them about this, I will not go into details”.

He added that Serbia accepts license plates neutral to the status of Kosovo – KS, but these license plates are not accepted by Kosovo.

Within the framework of the Agreement on free movement, which Kosovo and Serbia reached in dialogue in 2011, it was foreseen that RKS (Republic of Kosovo) or KS (neutral status) license plates would be used. This was intended to be a temporary measure for a period of five years.

Kosovo and Serbia in 2016 agreed to continue the validity of KS license plates for another five years, which means that their validity expired in 2021.

The EU asks Kosovo and Serbia not to escalate the situation

The European Union has asked Kosovo and Serbia to avoid increasing tensions, emphasizing that the bloc, but also the partners, are continuing the work to find a solution for the license plates.

“What Serbia and Kosovo need the least at this moment is more tension. They need more progress in order to move the dialogue forward. As we have said, [they] need to work towards comprehensive agreement in the dialogue for the normalization of relations. We are working with our partners, not only us as the EU, but also other partners, as well as with the authorities of Kosovo and Serbia in order to prevent any spark and escalation of the situation,” said EU spokesperson Peter Stano on the 27 October.

Stano added that the increase in tensions would be against the interests of the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia.

License plate re-registration process

Since September 1, Kosovo has started the process for re-registration of cars with license plates issued by Serbia, in those RKS – Republic of Kosovo. After October 31, the Government of Kosovo has said that cars with Serbian license plates will not be allowed to circulate in the territory of the state nor to cross the border.

License plates with Serbian acronyms for the cities of Kosovo – such as KM, PZ, PR and similar – are considered illegal by the Government of Kosovo.

It is believed that close to 10,000 vehicles with such license plates circulate in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, which are inhabited by a majority of Serbs.

The European Union and the United States have requested that Kosovo and Serbia avoid tensions. Likewise, Kosovo has been asked to postpone the deadline for re-registration for 10 months.

From the American Embassy in Pristina, they told Radio Free Europe on October 26, that they intend for the decision of the Government of Kosovo on re-registration to be implemented peacefully, and not to contribute to the increase of tensions.

“However, we have requested, together with our international partners, a ten-month postponement for the implementation of the decision”, said the Embassy’s response.

Meanwhile, Washington’s envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has stated for the Voice of America that the authorities in Kosovo have not yet responded to the request to postpone the re-registration.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has stated on October 25 that Kosovo takes seriously the suggestions of international allies regarding the postponement of the implementation of the decision on license plates.

“Besides that we want order and law to be respected, we are also careful not to endanger peace and security. Therefore, even when our international partners, allies, friends give us suggestions, we take them very seriously and analyze them carefully”, stated Kurti.

On July 31 and August 1, local Serbs in the north of Kosovo have set up barricades as a sign of dissatisfaction with the decision of the Government of Kosovo to implement two decisions: for car plates and Serbian documents.

The decision to implement these two decisions has been postponed to September 1, also at the request of international mechanisms.

In the meantime, an agreement has been reached on the entry/exit documents.

Kosovo and Serbia hold dialogue for the normalization of relations since 2011.

The negotiation process, which is mediated by the EU, is expected to end with a legally binding agreement.

Although Kosovo declares that this agreement should include mutual recognition, Serbia does not accept, insisting on a “compromise solution”./REL/