EU says Serbia, Kosovo settle dispute over identity documents

EU international coverage chief says the 2 neighbours have agreed on a deal over motion of residents throughout their border.

Serbia and Kosovo have settled an ethnic dispute over the motion of residents throughout their border, European Union international coverage chief Josep Borrell has mentioned.

“We now have a deal,” Borrell mentioned in a tweet Saturday. “Below the EU-facilitated Dialogue, Serbia agreed to abolish entry/exit paperwork for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce them for Serbian ID holders.”

“Kosovo Serbs, in addition to all different residents, will be capable to journey freely between Kosovo & Serbia utilizing their ID playing cards. The EU simply acquired ensures from PM [Albin] Kurti to this finish,” he wrote.

The 2 West Balkan international locations have been at loggerheads after Kosovo deliberate to cease recognising Serbian identification paperwork firstly of August. Serbian authorities don’t recognise Kosovan paperwork.

In response, Serb fighters blocked entry to 2 border crossings in northern Kosovo, which is predominantly populated by Serbs. Kosovo’s police reported that unidentified perpetrators fired pictures at Kosovan officers. Nobody was injured.

Tensions eased after Pristina agreed to proceed to recognise Serbian-issued quantity plates and paperwork for Kosovan residents for one other 30 days.

Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic final week took half within the talks chaired by Borrell, which aimed toward defusing tensions.

Belgrade and Kosovo’s Serb minority concentrated within the nation’s north declare entitlement below a 2013 settlement to an affiliation of semi-autonomous majority-Serb municipalities, which Pristina has refused to implement.

Launched in 2011, the EU-led Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue goals to normalise relations between the Western Balkan neighbours.

Kosovo, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, broke away from Serbia in 1999 and declared independence in 2008.

Serbia has not recognised Kosovo’s independence and continues to put declare to the territory. Most EU international locations recognise Kosovo as a separate state.