‘Giant step forward’: Kosovo, Serbia reach deal on vehicle plates

Kosovo, Serbia agree on an EU-brokered deal to finish a dispute over automobile licensing plates.

Ladies march within the northern a part of Kosovska Mitrovica in protest in opposition to deliberate fines by Kosovo authorities for individuals who refuse to vary their Belgrade issued automobile registration plates [Bojan Slavkovic/ AP]

Kosovo and Serbia have reached a deal to finish a long-running dispute over automobile licence plates that the European Union had warned may set off ethnic violence.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s overseas coverage chief, introduced the settlement on Twitter on Wednesday.

“We've a deal,” Borrell stated.

“More than happy to announce that chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia beneath EU-facilitation have agreed on measures to keep away from additional escalation,” he stated.

Serbia and Kosovo, which declared itself impartial from Belgrade in 2008, will now concentrate on an EU proposal on learn how to normalise their relations, Borrell stated.

Kosovo’s declaration of independence is recognised by about 110 nations however not by Serbia, Russia, China and 5 EU member states.

The most recent dispute between the Western Balkan neighbours erupted after the federal government in Pristina tried to require its Serb minority to change automotive plates relationship from earlier than 1999 when Kosovo was nonetheless a part of Serbia.

However Serbs within the northern a part of Kosovo – who refuse to recognise Pristina’s authority and nonetheless contemplate themselves part of Serbia – have resisted the ban, typically violently.

As an indication of disobedience, near 600 law enforcement officials from Kosovo’s Serb minority, adopted by judges, prosecutors and different state staff stop their jobs earlier this month.

Regardless of the fierce protests, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti insisted the plan would go forward, earlier than asserting on Tuesday he would delay it for 2 days, after he got here beneath stress from the USA.

The dispute additionally sounded alarm bells within the EU, which has been mediating talks to attempt to normalise ties and needs each side to carry off on provocative gestures.

Borrell on Monday, after internet hosting Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels for negotiations on the difficulty, had stated Vucic had been prepared to just accept a compromise however Kurti had not.

Kurti blamed Borrell for focusing solely on the licence plates as a substitute of the total normalisation of ties between the neighbours.

Vucic stated Kurti was answerable for the failure of the assembly.

On Twitter on Wednesday, Borrell stated the deal reached by each side entailed Serbia ceasing to problem licence plates with markings indicating Kosovo cities, and Kosovo “will stop additional actions associated to re-registration of autos”.

Borrell added that he'll invite each events within the coming days to debate an EU proposal, supported additionally by France and Germany, which is able to enable the foes to normalise relations.

Washington stated it welcomed Wednesday’s deal.

“The 2 events took an enormous step ahead at this time, with EU facilitation, in the direction of assuring peace and stability all through the area,” stated Ned Value, a spokesman for the US Division of State.

“We additional commend the 2 nations’ settlement to pay attention totally and urgently on normalizing relations beneath the auspices of the EU-facilitated dialogue,” he added.

The difficulty of Kosovo’s independence sparked a struggle between 1998 and 1999 through which about 13,000 individuals died. Serbia launched a brutal crackdown to curb a separatist rebel by the territory’s ethnic Albanians.

NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 to finish the struggle.

The safety alliance nonetheless has some 3,700 peacekeepers on the bottom to take care of the delicate peace.