PRISTINA, Kosovo – Kosovo says it will delay the regulation of confiscating cars owned by ethnic Serbs who refuse to use local license plates following criticism by Western countries that such a move could exacerbate ethnic tensions.
Kosovo has tried a few times this year to get its Serb minority to change their old license plates before 1999 when Kosovo was still part of Serbia. However, the move was met with strong and sometimes violent resistance by local Serbs living in the north of the country.
The final deadline is November 1 when around 10,000 motorists must transfer their old car registrations.
Speaking at a government meeting, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said such a decision would be made gradually.
“These license plates are illegal … we want to give the opportunity to all who are interested to mingle,” Kurti said.
He said the decision was made to respect the rule of law but also to address the concerns of Western countries.
Kurti said drivers will first be warned for three weeks, then fined for a period of two months, followed by a temporary license plate stripping, and if they don’t change their plates by April 21, the vehicle Theirs will be confiscated.
The local Serbs have threatened to block the road, as they have done in the past, if Pristina takes any steps to prevent them from using her car.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but some 50,000 ethnic Serbs living in the north of Kosovo refuse to recognize Pristina’s authority and still consider themselves part of Serbia.
“Kosovo reserves the right to implement the license plate regime … but the extension is in the interest of making progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations.” , US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on the same day.
He added that his administration was “disappointed and concerned” by Kurti’s refusal in the past days to delay the ruling for another 10 months.
The US and other Western European countries are the biggest supporters of Kosovo, but it remains unclear whether Kurti’s latest move will please them.
Mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States, Serbia and Kosovo have been negotiating to normalize relations for years with little success.
Kosovo is recognized by about 110 countries, mainly Western countries, but not by Serbia, ChinaRussia and others.
