Kosovo authorities' silence for illegal plates in the north

Kosovo Police officials say they do not have any orders from the country's political instances to stop the flow of vehicles with license plates “KM”.

With the Brussels Free Movement Agreement, which was reached in July 2011 in technical dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, it was determined that all owners of cars living in Kosovo should use HINA license plates KSH (Kosovo) or ʹ RKS) (Republishment of Kosovo) and thus remove plates that for Kosovo Serbs issued to Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Such plates were from “KM” (Kosovo's Mitrovica), “PR” (Pristina) “UR” (Frizaj), “PZ” (Prizren), “GL” (Gylan). Official Pristina considered them and continued to consider them illegal.

This confirms to Radio Free Europe former Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri, who stresses that this agreement has started to be implemented in December 2011.

Terge car “KM” registers in Serbia

A Serbian citizen from Northern Mitrovica, with G.M. initials whose identity is known for Radio Free Europe, has said his vehicle, as well as most of the citizens in northern Kosovo municipalities, wears license plates with license plates “KM”.

I have Serbia's <x0... I'm recording the vehicle in Rashka. Since the post-war is so, and the northern part, I think they're all registered in the Rasket”, the Serbian citizen from North Mitrovica stressed.

He added that with these plates, it goes smoothly to Kosovo-Serbia border crossings in Brnjak and Jarinje.

With these plates, it cannot be circulated only in the southern part of Kosovo. But it circulates throughout the north, in Serbia, in Montenegro and so on. I have had no problems, at least not so far”, the Serbian citizen from North Mitrovica stressed.

The agreement on the removal of plates released by Serbia's Ministry of Internal Affairs for Kosovo Serbs has been implemented in all municipalities south of the Iber River, but not even in northern municipalities.

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the Northern Region Besim Hoti tells Radio Free Europe, that police have managed to remove vehicles without license and security in northern municipalities.

However, it stresses that vehicles with license plates “KM” continues to circulate in northern Kosovo municipalities, while their census takes place outside Kosovo's territory.

It is obvious that they were part of the talks, earlier, of the political character, and this issue is not on the police level to discuss why these plates are still present in the four northern municipalities. But, mainly, this has been for their relief at the time (Serbian citizens of northern municipalities) and for looser circulation on Serbia's territory. While, with the same plates, circulation has not been allowed in Kosovo's southern municipalities”, Hoti stressed.

Tahiri: KM license, MPB competence

Former Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri, who led Kosovo's side at the time when the agreement on freedom of movement has been reached, including the removal of license plates issued by the then parallel Serb structures in Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe, that the agreement implies its implementation in the entire territory of Kosovo.

According to her, implementation of this agreement has had to happen now, about ten years and for this failure, she blames the Ministry of Internal Affairs, during all government mandates so far.

This has always been a commitment to the Ministry of Interior, which has computers in this field. Of course, as long as you mention that these plates can still be found in the north or cross the border, then here we are dealing with the failure of the Interior Ministry of Kosovo, but also the border authorities, which should never allow the possibility of such an illegal circulation”, Tahiri stressed.

She added that despite the delay, implementation of the agreement on abolishing the <x0 files> KM” can happen now.

Kosovo police have no order clarifying license issue
But, the deputy director of Kosovo Police for the northern region, Hoti, says they have never received any warrant from the political level, for stopping the flow of vehicles with license plates “KM”.

No, we don't have a decidatory ordinance clarifying the issue of these former federal system plates, which they had in the former federal system of Yugoslavia” respectively, Hoti stressed.

While vehicles with license plates “KM” can access Serbia's territory, via border points in Jarinje and Brnjak, plates “The RKS” cannot do so without removing the signs and putting in their place signs with the inscription “Test” which impose them on Serbian border authorities.

For license plates “

Edita Tahiri also blames Kosovo's political and institutional authorities for the situation. According to her, in the 2011 agreement in Brussels, full reciprocity is being imposed between Kosovo and Serbia regarding vehicle plates. According to her, however, Kosovo has given five years to be circulated with license plates “KS”

In September 2016, the agreement was reached that plates “KS” to be removed and the vehicles of both countries carried corresponding plates during circulation on each other's territory.

Tahiri, who even at the time was leading the Kosovo side in dialogue with Serbia, says the agreement was for Kosovo vehicles to carry plates “RKS”, meanwhile, those of Serbia to have plates with Serbian state acronyms. But, according to her, this should be done by covering up relevant pieces of plates, such as the symbols and acronyms of the respective states, during the circulation in each other's territory.

But, the government of former Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, in which Tahiri was minister for Dialog, as she explains, had delayed the process of extracting the labels.

In 2017, the government of former Prime Minister Mustafa collapsed. For more, neither the governments that followed, including the present, took issue with the license plates, says Tahiri.

Unfortunately none (of governments) And I can tell you that at that time, when the agreement was reached, we had three months to get these Bitsiers-aaggressive (combined letter) to start reciprocity. At the time, the Serb side, in the round we had in Brussels, confirmed it is ready. So he had them ready. But we did not arrive, and as we are talking today, so over four years have passed and are not yet being implemented”, Tahiri stressed.

Free Europe Radio has been addressed to the cabinet of Kosovo Government Minister of Internal Affairs Jelal Sfechla, with questions about whether the documents have been reviewed and what further steps will be on the issue of illegal license plates KM), according to the 2011 Brussels Agreement, as well as the implementation of reciprocity for license plates, according to the 2016 Brussels Agreement.

To publish this text, this ministry has given no answers.