Kosovo postpones controversial plan for Serbian license plates

The Kosovo government delayed the execution of a decision that would compel Serbs in the north of the country to apply for car license plates printed by Pristina institutions after tensions rose between police and local communities.

Late on Sunday Serbian protesters in Kosovo parked trucks on roads leading to Jarinje and Bernjak border crossings obliging the Kosovo police to close crossings.

The NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo said it was monitoring the situation in Kosovo closely and is “prepared to intervene if stability is jeopardized.”

When Kosovo declared independence from Serbia fourteen years ago, 50,000 Serbs living in the north continued to use license plates and documents issued by Serbian authorities, refusing to recognise institutions from Pristina. Serbia and Russia still do not recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Initially Kosovo and Serbia had no diplomatic relations. However, in the following years there has been increased dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.

The Pristina government had also decided that as of 1 August, all citizens from Serbia visiting Kosovo would have to get an extra document at the border to grant them permission to enter. A similar rule is applied by Belgrade authorities to Kosovars who visit Serbia.

The government also decided that as of 1 August, all citizens from Serbia visiting Kosovo would have to get an extra document at the border to grant them permission to enter. A similar rule is applied by Belgrade authorities to Kosovars who visit Serbia.

But following protests on Sunday evening and interference by EU and US ambassadors, the government said it would delay its plan for one month, and start implementation on 1 September.