How the license issue turned into major problem between Kosovo and Serbia

A day before this decision entered into force, local Serbs in northern Kosovo blocked the magistrate's highway with trucks near the Jarinje border crossing, located in the Leposavic municipality.

After these tensions, American Ambassador Jeff Havenier, shortly before midnight on July 31, went to the office of Prime Minister Kurti, where he asked him to postpone for a month the implementation of the decision for reciprocity measures with Serbia for identification documents and use of Serbia's vehicle license plates.

“We hope to work with our partners in the European Union to reduce tensions. We're not asking for the annulment of the decision to be clear, but delaying”, Ambassador Havenier said.

This request, The government Kurti agreed on the condition that barricades be removed from the streets in northern Kosovo.

Kosovo's “government vows to postpone implementation of two decisions from June 29th 2022, until September 1st, 2022, from the moment on Monday, August 1, 2022, when all barricades will be removed and full freedom of movement on all roads north of Kosovo”.

Under the government's earlier decision -- from September 1st to October 31st -- citizens in the north, which have license plates issued by Serbia -- could convert them to the RKS-RS. After that date, the executive had stated in advance that cars with such license plates could neither circulate over state territory nor cross the border.

On October 27th, Serbian List leader Goran Rakic and Serbian officials warned barricades in the north if Kosovo after October 31st would seize Serb license plates and vehicles.

On the other hand, Minister Svecla said that from September 1st to now, “under pressure” and “attacks”, only a small number have reregistered their cars in the RKS.

Vuciq had declared on October 26th that KM (Kosovo Mitrovica) plates would remain even after October 31st.

It is believed that close to 10,000 Serb acronym plates -- such as KM, PZ, PR -- and similar -- circulate into Kosovo's majority-Serb north. Kosovo considers these plates issued by Serbia illegal.

The United States and the European Union once again demanded that Kosovo extend the deadline for the license plates. This time for ten months. But, their call, Prime Minister Kurti told “JO”.

Despite that, Kurti on October 28th unveiled a plan for the issue of plates issued by Serbia, to be implemented in several phases. The plan envisions as early as April 21st of next year “will be removed” all plates that are not RKS- Republic of Kosovo.

For three weeks, starting on November 1st through November 21st, the measure will be the one to blame. Then, from November 21st, for two months until 21st, it will be the penalty measure and then from January 21st, we will have test plates for another two months, after which the date, on April 21st, cannot have because no other license plates can be allowed in the Republic of Kosovo”, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said during the cabinet meeting held on October 28th.

READ BEAH: The launch of rebuke for license plates: What we need to know from midnight until now.

Following this decision by the Government of Kosovo has reacted to the head of the office for Kosovo in the Serbian government, Petar Petkovic, who has named it “magification”.

“Any kind of crisis and tension in Kosovo and Metohija were avoided only because of the prudent and responsible behavior of our people there and [Serbia's] President Aleksandar Vuciq, therefore there is no submission to the fraud Kurti and [Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi are trying to make, through this decision, charging that they are willing to compromise. That is because, all they do, they do it within the long-term goal of driving the Serb people out of Kosovo, and Belgrade will not allow this”, he said.

Kosovo's Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said that citizens in the north by 31 March could benefit tax facilities after re-registering their cars at RKS. Asked that if this decision implies extending the deadline for license plates, he said Kosovo has not postponed implementation of the decision, but “we have escalated and sequenced it”.

Kurti reiterated that plates with Serbian acronyms for Kosovo cities are illegal.

The deadline for reregistering cars with license plates issued by Serbia in advance expired on October 31st, and the government said that with this new decision it is showing seriousness to implement the decision it has made, but “at the same time giving a chance to give those interested to integrate”.

After the discovery of these stages by Prime Minister Kurti, it started. Serbian drama Again.. This time with threats of departure from all Kosovo institutions. Mitrovica's North Police Regional Director Nenad Djurovic through a news conference communicated that they will no longer comply with the Central Directorate's orders for implementation of the license measures. His suspension from Kosovo Police arrived immediately. But that was not all. The next day, the Serbian List warned us to leave the institutions, which then made a decision to do so.

READ BEAH: Serbian outgoing drama and conditioning with Zajednica license plates

The chief of the Government of Kosovo said that the new license plan has been informed by QUINT representatives, with whom he talked before the government meeting. Despite saying they initially asked him to extend the deadline for reregistering, once they heard of the new decision, they said they would show their opinion after they were consulted with their heads.

Of course, after this government decision was made public, the U.S. said “lying to” with the failure of the deadline for reregistering.

READ BEAH: Is Albin Kurti telling the truth about the US reports? 

Such intense pressure from internationals is never meant to have been made.. Such pressure increased when US President Derek Chollet's adviser, through a telephone link has talked to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“I spoke with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti today to discuss the importance of avoiding tensions and delaying implementation of new license rules without seizures or fines. We also discussed our partnership and common goals for advancing Kosovo's European and Euro-Atlantic integration”, Chollet has said.

Even the first American Diplomacy in Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier, has said it is important, avoid tensions and postpone implementation of the license agreement. And Havenier has condemned the attacks on people who have changed the plates.

The key “to avoid tensions and postpone implementation of new license rules. We also condemn actions to fear or retaliate against those who have changed their license plates”, Horvenier wrote.

This requirement for extending the deadline was also made by American emissary Gabriel Escobar, who earlier declared that he has not yet received a positive response from the Government of Kosovo to his request.

READ BEAH: “Discoordinateing with America has brought the country into chaos” What if Kurt Government goes down?

And so, The request to extend the deadline has joined the states of QUINT.

Meanwhile, Kosovo government, presidency have declared they will not postpone that decision, saying he's had enough last time.

On October 31st, the Kosovo government's deadline for registration of vehicles that have illegal license plates calling on Kosovo Serb citizens to remove them and take those legal RKS.

November 1st marked the day Kosovo Police began blaming the owners of illegal license plates.

That move would continue until 21 November, meanwhile, from that date until January 21st, all owners of cars with Serbian license plates in Kosovo would be fined 150 euros.

But November 21st was not the start of implementing this phase after Kosovo Police announced last Sunday that the pronunciation of the fines would begin a day later on November 22nd, Monday, the day the emergency trilateral meeting was held in Brussels, which placed in front of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq. This meeting ended without agreement.

Not only did it end without a deal, but the Kosovo side received criticism from the European Union as never before.

European Union High Representative Joseph Borrell invited Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbia's president, Alexander Vuciq, on Monday to discuss the plates. EU emissary Miroslav Lajcak was at the same table. Even after eight hours of meetings brought no positive results for normalising relations.

That is how Borrell himself, who after the meeting said he has made a proposal to avoid escalation of the situation in northern Kosovo, but according to him, Kurti has rejected this proposal.

The lack of agreement today means that we have to conclude how these negotiations are under way. We will inform member states, our colleagues and partners about the conduct of the parties and Lack of respect for the parties and I have to say this specifically about Kosovo. I understand this conveys a very negative political message”, Borrell said.

On the other side, Prime Minister Kurti blamed Borrell for giving up the proposal for the normalism of Kosovo-Serbia relations.

I regret to say that the mediators, in this case Borrell, gave up this March 2023 deadline and the EU proposal for normalising Kosovo-Serbia relations. I'm sorry because they've already proposed March 2023, and on the other hand, the proposal is the European Union. When we met in Paris at the Forum for Peace, Borrell said the proposal is not Franco-German, but the EU and supported by France and Germany. Today he gave up the EU proposal for normalising Kosovo relations- Serbia ... I am willing to come here to always hold meetings with the same structure and order... I hope the EU stands behind its proposal for normalising Kosovo's relations and Serbia”, he said.

Already, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq was playing the spectator's role in this “bathe” of Kurti and Borrell.

READ BEAH: Kurt and Borrell, from love story to Turkish soap opera

According to political connoisseurs, Kurti was guilty of the situation created because he “offered” this comfort to the president of Serbia.

In the late hours of the last night of providing fines, the American Embassy in Pristina asked the Kosovo Government to postpone the decision for 48 hours.

Prime Minister Kurti accepted this request.

I thanked Ambassador Havenier for his commitment and commitment. I accept his request for a 48-hour delay in providing fines for illegal KM (and others). I'm happy to work with the US and the EU to find a solution over the next two days”, he wrote.

Today, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the plates were not the reason for going to Brussels.

When I received an invitation from Brussels, the reason I went are not plates. I've gone to start discussing the final agreement. I'm prime minister. The prime minister cannot go for the plates. When I told Borrell on November 11th this morning in Paris where we were, the Franco-German proposal, said no, is not Franco-German, it's a European proposal. I told him right, Mr. Borrell, but in Brussels, I saw that if it was a European proposal, I wouldn't give up that easily. Now we're where we are because the first general framework of the deal was abandoned and passed on to the actual issues. That's not what we agreed on, we agreed in August on regular monthly meetings, I waited we weren't invited. A serious proposal should be taken more seriously”, he said.

He, among other journalists, said Europeans had appointed the 2023 navy as the deadline for final agreements, adding that he had asked for February, but then quit altogether.

“Hours are going on, it's true, but by the last minute we can't talk about what's going to happen when the deadline expires. The March 2023 deadline, I didn't write it, Brussels wrote it. I wanted to be short. I said better. Faster. They left the whole”.

From tomorrow, the second phase is expected to enter into force, the penalty measure. The measure will be until April 21st, where illegal registration plates can no longer be available.

Although few hours remain, the situation in the north seems to be calm. /Enis Rrustemi-Periscopi/