EU talks fail to end Serbia car plate row
A European diplomatic intervention on Monday failed to resolve a dangerous row between Serbia and Kosovo over car number plates, with Brussels blaming Pristina for the stalemate.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hosted Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels amid a row that could trigger a regional crisis.
Afterwards, Mr Borrell said Mr Vucic had been ready to accept an EU compromise proposal on vehicle licencing “that could have avoided this risky situation” — but that Mr Kurti had not.
Pristina has declared that, by next April, around 10,000 Kosovo Serbs with licence plates issued by Serbia must replace them with plates from the Republic of Kosovo.
Mr Borrell told reporters that he would brief EU member states and allies “about the behaviour of the different parties and the lack of respect for international legal obligations”.
“And I have to say that, particularly for Kosovo, I know this sends a very negative political signal,” he warned.
The underlying source of tension is Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, which Serbia does not recognise. Belgrade encourages Kosovo’s Serb minority to remain loyal to Serbia.
In the latest development this month, Serbs in northern Kosovo resigned from public institutions in protest over the number plate row.
The dispute sounded alarm bells in the European Union, which has been mediating talks to try to normalise ties and wants both sides to hold off on provocative gestures.
After Monday’s latest emergency mediation, Mr Vucic insisted that Serbia had been “absolutely constructive” and had agreed to back a text that had been modified “dozens of times”.
“All we did was insist on the fact that the agreements already signed be applied,” the Serb leader told TV Pink.
Mr Kurti, however, told reporters that Kosovo was demanding broader talks leading to full normalisation of ties.
“We cannot be irresponsible and meet as state leaders that only discuss licence plates and not discuss normalisation of relations,” he said.