Vuciq: Kosovo recognises, 2011 deal I am obliged to respect

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuciq has declared Tuesday that the 2011 agreement on freedom of movement between Kosovo and Serbia is obliged to respect it.

I understand that we have signed the 2011 agreement, and I have to respect it, but others have to understand that, for reasons unknown to me, they're playing war”, he declared at a conference.

Vuciq has added further that he is unable to recognise Kosovo's independence.

“Vucciq is not willing to recognise Kosovo, for them this is normalisation”, the Serbian president has said, referring to Kosovo and international leaders.

What does the Brussels Agreement for Kosovo license plates say?

The agreement on freedom of movement between Kosovo and Serbia was reached in 2011 in Brussels.

With this document, Serbian plates with signs of Kosovo cities, such as PR (Pristina), GL (Gylan) KM (Mitrovica), removed. I mean, vehicles with such plates had to re-register with RKS (Republiment of Kosovo) or with neutral status ʹ KS (Kosovo).

All owners of Kosovo-based vehicles will use RKS or KS license plates. They will be issued by the responsible authorities in Kosovo”, the agreement on freedom of movement said at point 7.

But, despite it, in four municipalities in northern Kosovo, where the majority of the population is Serb, citizens have been driving city license plates in Kosovo, issued by Serbia's Interior Ministry.

On the other hand, Kosovo citizens have been unable to enter Serbia's territory with license plates RKS, no expenses. They had to replace them with temporary license plates. Thus, by agreement, Kosovo has been forced to issue the KS license plates, which Serbia has accepted for another five years.

The technical agreement on freedom of movement, 2011, has been finalised in Brussels on September 14th, 2016, when Kosovo has agreed to extend the validity of KS license plates for another five years.

When has the deadline expired for controversial license plates?

The five - year period has ended on September 15, 2021.

“This has been the deadline for removing and using these plates, as well as the KM shortcuts for Mitrovica, PR for Pristina, UR for Ferizaj, PZ for Prizren and GL for Gjilan”, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said on September 20th. He said these plates would be confiscated.