The Guardian: Targir Kosovo at risk of civil unrest

The EU, the US and NATO have expressed their alarms following the failure of eight-hour talks in Brussels for resolving the issue of fineding ethnic Serbs who refuse to hand over their Belgrade-leaning plates, the British daily writes.

Hours before seven o'clock in the morning, when police announced they would start issuing fines of 150 euros, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti agreed to delay it for another 48 hours, while saying it is “happy to work with the US and the EU” to find solutions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell indicated that both sides showed the overall lack of respect for their international obligations” and that “will bear responsibility for any escalation of violence that might be presented on the ground the following days”.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price gave voice to Washington's concern, urging both sides to make concessions so that they do not risk the peace gained over the decades in a region as fragile as well as”.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General who has 3 grand and 700 peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, said it is a disappointed “that the potential to resolve the target issue” and urged the parties “to find pragmatic solutions” to avoid escalation.

Tensions between Belgrade and Pristina have raged in recent weeks until the issue of license plates has become a focus of the sovereignty dispute dating from Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence, The Guardian says, the online newspaper Reporter.net conveys.

While about 100 states have recognised Kosovo, and have received membership in several international institutions, Serbia and its key allies -- Russia and China -- refuse to accept Kosovo's independence.

Serbia's constitution defines Kosovo as part of its national territory, and approximately 50,000 Serbs in the northern part remain severely loyal to Belgrade, which gives them considerable financial and political support.

Locals in several Serb enclaves refuse toyya recognise the authority of Pristina, wave Serbian flags, use Serbian currency, and approximately 10,000 Sosh rejects the license plates of the Republic of Kosovo.

Pristina has started implementing the popular plan, including rebukes, fines and ultimately bans on circulation from November 1st, disfiguring heated resistance and the massive resignations of Serbian police officers, judges, prosecutors and other officials in Kosovo.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, whom Kosovo accuses of deliberately forging tensions, has warned “fer on the ground” if Kosovo police start implementing fines or license plates until it has even warned that the situation is “violent conflict”.

Borell has indicated that the EU, which also has 130 members on the ground, has proposed compromise that could have left out escalation, but that while Vucic has accepted it, Kurti, who wants broader negotiations for normalisation of relations, has declined.

European foreign policy chief said the situation “delivers an extremely negative signal”, since both sides have EU membership objectively.

He urged Pristina to suspend all other steps in terms of reregistering cars in the northern part of Kosovo, and Serbia to stop releasing new license plates. Both sides need <x0space and time to seek sustainable solutions”, he said.