Serbian plates converted to “Only 18 Serbs

The United States of America and the European Union have called on the Government of Kosovo to extend the deadline for another 10 months. Today, however, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has confirmed that there will be no extension of the deadline for the license plates.

In a response to Democracy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has said that Serbia's propaganda and the parallel structures have caused the results to be lacking until they have expressed their determination not to extend the registration deadline.

The freedom of movement, equality, but rule of law is our priority. Meanwhile, we will continue the intensive campaign throughout Kosovo so that by October 31st this process can be completed”, the MPB's response reported.

According to this ministry, from the first day of car registration, there has been a great interest in our citizens, and the same interest has been in the north. However, according to them, a propaganda has been developed in the north by the Serbian heads of state themselves and there has been a great pressure on illegal structures in the north.

From the first day of car registration, we've had a huge interest in our citizens, the same interest has been in the north. In the north of the country there is readiness by citizens, but there has been a propaganda conducted by the heads of the Serbian state themselves and there has been a great pressure on illegal structures in the north that any compliance of citizens to legalize in daily life respond to pressures, threats and attacks. The propaganda of Serbian heads of state, including Serbia's president, Vuciq, as well as the actions of criminal groups and illegal structures are co-ordinated and in service to each other towards the goal of intimidating our citizens there. Unfortunately, two cases north of the country -- the one in Leposaviq and Zvecan -- have been accompanied by incidents. The first car registered in the north, of a Kosovo police sergeant who has made the return of the car to the license plate RKS, the same evening watch, has been attacked by a house and a part of it has been burned. Also, in Zvecan a Serbian citizen burned the warehouse after he had registered his son's car”, the MPB's response reported.

The MPB, too, says more international pressure is needed on Serbia, which with its calls for non-registering cars, is inviting Serbian citizens of our Republic to act in illegality.

“We need to talk more about these actions of the state of Serbia and illegal structures and criminal groups that respond to Serbia. It takes more international pressure on Serbia, which with its calls for non-registering cars, is inviting Serbian citizens of our Republic to act in illegality. The KM, GL, PR, PZ, DE,UR, etc., and so on, which are Serbian penalties for the cities of the Republic of Kosovo, has expired the use deadline since September last year. On the other hand, before the expiration deadline, we are opening the conversion deadline with financial relief. Over a two-month term, we are offering a new window of converting these plates, which are Milosevic's power relics, with significant financial reliefs totalling up to 5 thousand euros. Convert to license plate “RKS” provides free, unhindered and unprejudiced movement throughout the Republic of Kosovo. With it and with the invitation to convert the plates to the RKS we want to establish legitimacy in our country”, the MPB's answer is said. .

But, to date, according to the MPB's official response to Democracy.com, only 18 Serbian citizens have converted vehicle plates from illegal plates to RKS regular.

Converting plates has happened in these regions:

We have 6 vehicles from Region 06;

We have 7 vehicles from Region 02;

From Region 04 we have 3 vehicles;

We have two vehicles.

Meanwhile, US envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, who last week was in Belgrade and Pristina, said “is US Secretary of State Antony Blinken himself, who has asked Kosovo to extend the 10-month deadline for converting Serbia's illegal license plates to those of Kosovo”.

Our “I very much hope that they will extend the deadline, I hope they will accept the QUINT countries' request and the Secretary of State's personal request Antony Blinken to postpone it, make the implementation less chaotic and create the conditions for proper implementation”, Escobar said during his stay in Belgrade.

According to him, if Kosovo agrees to extend the deadline, then during these ten months “tou are required to conduct an informational campaign, conduct more consultations with communities that will be affected and have more co-ordination with the international community”.

Even the European Union urged Kosovo to extend the 10 months deadline for converting Serbian plates and their registration to Kosovo's.

“Conclusions for freedom of movement from 2016 include a timetable for re-registering, which should also have instructions. Therefore, we have, under this process, recommended to the Government of Kosovo to set a 12-month deadline for reregisteration. According to the same logic, we now ask the Government of Kosovo to extend its deadline for 10 months,”, EU spokesman Petter Stano has said.

The Kosovo government has not yet confirmed clearly whether it will postpone this deadline. Kosovo Government spokesman Progress Kryeziu said days ago that the government understands the concerns and worries of American host Gabriel Escobar and shares the same concerns with him, because security and peace are common values and vital interest”, Kurti's spokesman said, as if Escobar had spoken about his concerns in Iraq, not in Kosovo.

“At the same time, we are tasked with rule of law, constitutionality, government decisions. One can't rule out the other. It's not October 31st or 30th yet. We're under the campaign for converting illegal plates into those RKS legal plates. We call again on Kosovo Serb citizens to convert the plates by profiting from tax and customs release”, Kurti Government spokesman added.

President Vjosa Osmani has spoken about it. According to her, “the question of the license plates is on all issues of rule of law”.

Our international partners if for years they have asked Kosovo to work on rule of law, we are doing that. So I expect our partners to support us in governing the law in treating everyone equally”, Osmani said.

Ambassadors of the Quinti countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany, met in Belgrade two days ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, who expressed concern about the possible deterioration of stability in the region, before the end of the Kosovo Government's term for re-registering Serbian cars in those of the Republic of Kosovo.

According to a Serbian Presidency communique, “and President Aleksandar Vuciq himself share concerns about possible tensions and has said Serbia is committed to dialogue as a way of resolving open issues”.

However, Aleksandar Vuciq has considered, reportedly in the communique, that <x0-tensions have been caused due to Pristina's unilateral movements”.

In recent weeks, however, there is an increased commitment of the international community with frequent visits to Kosovo and Serbia so that these two countries can reach a final agreement on improving relations and this agreement can be reached soon.