Serbia and Kosovo in talks to resolve number plate dispute

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have been in last-ditch talks to resolve a dispute over automobile quantity plates.

Tensions between the 2 ratcheted up final 12 months after Kosovo demanded that Serbian vehicles crossing the border purchase non permanent licence plates.

This was in response to Serbia already requiring automobiles from Kosovo to do the identical.

A brief deal was struck to permit automobiles to cross the border if state symbols on the quantity plates have been lined up.

However that expired this week.

Forward of talks between Serbia and Kosovo, the EU’s mediator Miroslav Lajčák urged each side to succeed in a deal.

However each side remained entrenched of their positions.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti mentioned Kosovo would conform to nothing lower than “the precept of reciprocity as the idea of any future answer”.

Serbia’s prime Kosovo official Petar Petkovic referred to as Kurti’s stance “a untimely risk”.

Artan Muhaxhiri, a political commentator in Kosovo, mentioned the licence plate talks served as a warning concerning the lack of political will in each nations to maneuver ahead in reaching a last deal on Kosovo’s independence.

“The problem of licence plates is a typical instance of the complexity of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia,” mentioned Muhaxhiri. “A subject that basically needed to be technical has become a giant impasse that takes so many months of discussions and dialogues from the Kosovo, Serbian and EU sides to succeed in an settlement. This implies how tough the ultimate settlement can be if there isn’t a will and dedication of the events.”

Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, declared independence from Belgrade in 2008. Serbia would not recognise this and continues to deal with Kosovo as if it have been beneath its sovereignty regardless of a decade of EU-mediated talks between the 2 sides.