Kosovo delays new car number plate laws

• Residents of districts with a majority of ethnic Serbs had to swap Serbian plates for Kosovan ones.
• Ethnic Serbs in the north blocked off routes on Sunday and armed men opened fire in protest
• US and EU ambassadors discussed the situation with Kosovo’s government.

The Kosovo government has delayed the introduction of new regulations that would have required residents of districts with a majority of ethnic Serbs to change their Serbian-issued license plates for Kosovan ones.

The regulations were supposed to take effect at midnight on Monday.

However, ethnic Serbs in the north blocked off routes on Sunday and armed men opened fire in protest.

The US and EU deliberations resulted in a month-long delay in the rules’ implementation.

Almost ten years after it separated from Serbia after a brutal conflict in which Serbia was bombed by NATO, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence in February 2008.

Its residents, who are primarily Albanian, and Serb, have had tense relations for years.

Major members of the European Union and the United States have recognized it, but Serbia, supported by its ally Russia, has refused to do so, as have the majority of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

Around 50,000 residents of the predominantly Serb regions of the north utilize license plates provided by Serbian authorities and reject Kosovan institutions.
Conflicts resulted from the Kosovan government’s decision to enact new regulations, which included swapping out Serbian license plates for Kosovan ones.

Numerous ethnic Serbs parked trucks, tankers, and other vehicles along two important border crossings with Serbia in protest of the new regulations, causing the police to close the two crossings. Nato described the situation as “tense.”

Kfor, the alliance-led mission in Kosovo, stated it was ready to intervene “if stability is jeopardised.”

Although Kosovo’s police claimed they had not heard of any injuries, there were also allegations of armed individuals firing rounds.

Consultations with the US and EU ambassadors followed the escalation of tensions.

According to the BBC’s Guy Delauney, US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier requested that Kosovo’s government postpone the enforcement of the licence plate judgement for 30 days “because it seems that there was misinformation and misunderstanding about the decision.”

The new rules were then postponed for 30 days by Kosovo.

Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the EU, expressed his approval of the statement in a tweet and stated that he anticipated all obstacles to be removed right away.

Alexandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, added that he anticipated emotions to “de-escalate” after the rules were postponed.

Similar demonstrations over proposed changes to the licence plate laws occurred the previous year.

Despite the two sides’ commitment to participating in an EU-sponsored discussion to try to resolve long-standing concerns, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia nevertheless exist.

The regulations were supposed to take effect at midnight on Monday.

However, ethnic Serbs in the north blocked off routes on Sunday and armed men opened fire in protest.

The US and EU deliberations resulted in a month-long delay in the rules’ implementation.

Almost ten years after it separated from Serbia after a brutal conflict in which Serbia was bombed by NATO, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence in February 2008.

Its residents, who are primarily Albanian, and Serb, have had tense relations for years.

Major members of the European Union and the United States have recognized it, but Serbia, supported by its ally Russia, has refused to do so, as have the majority of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

Around 50,000 residents of the predominantly Serb regions of the north utilize licence plates provided by Serbian authorities and reject Kosovan institutions.
Conflicts resulted from the Kosovan government’s decision to enact new regulations, which included swapping out Serbian license plates for Kosovan ones.

Numerous ethnic Serbs parked trucks, tankers, and other vehicles along two important border crossings with Serbia in protest of the new regulations, causing the police to close the two crossings. Nato described the situation as “tense.”

Kfor, the alliance-led mission in Kosovo, stated it was ready to intervene “if stability is jeopardised.”

Although Kosovo’s police claimed they had not heard of any injuries, there were also allegations of armed individuals firing rounds.

Consultations with the US and EU ambassadors followed the escalation of tensions.

According to the BBC’s Guy Delauney, US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier requested that Kosovo’s government postpone the enforcement of the license plate judgement for 30 days “because it seems that there was misinformation and misunderstanding about the decision.”

The new rules were then postponed for 30 days by Kosovo.

Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the EU, expressed his approval of the statement in a tweet and stated that he anticipated all obstacles to be removed right away.

Alexandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, added that he anticipated emotions to “de-escalate” after the rules were postponed.

Similar demonstrations over proposed changes to the license plate laws occurred the previous year.

Despite the two sides’ commitment to participating in an EU-sponsored discussion to try to resolve long-standing concerns, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia nevertheless exist.

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