Kosovo pushes in advance with auto licensing rule resisted by Serbs

JARINJE, Kosovo, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Dozens of U.S. NATO peacekeepers patrolled northern Kosovo on Thursday to protect serene right after Pristina introduced that all around 50,000 ethnic Serbs in the area would have to change their auto license plates to neighborhood kinds within two months.

Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, has sought to compel Serbs to accept Pristina’s authority in routine bureaucratic issues considering the fact that successful independence in 2008 just after nearly a 10 years-very long rebellion from Serbia’s repressive rule.

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo’s independence and Serbs in northern Kosovo consider Belgrade as their capital. read through a lot more

In announcing the Oct. 31 deadline for motorists to switch above Serbian license plates to these issued by Pristina, Kosovo Primary Minister Albin Kurti explained the selection as “very little additional or much less than an expression of the training of sovereignty.”

“Sure money added benefits will be offered for the duration of registration, together with tax reduction,” Kurti reported in Serbian in a movie posted on his Facebook profile.

A push past year to apply the vehicle licensing was satisfied with protests by the Serbs in the north, who are backed by Belgrade and dwell shut to Kosovo’s border with Serbia. Tensions flared once more last thirty day period following Pristina declared the rule would go into outcome on Sept. 1, prompting ethnic Serbs to established up roadblocks.

Tensions eased soon after Kurti, under U.S. and European Union tension, agreed to postpone the change. The roadblocks have been taken off beneath the look at of NATO, which bombed Serbia in 1999 to conclusion repression of Kosovo’s Albanians and now has about 3,700 peacekeepers in Kosovo. study far more

“If we are informed to transform the plates we will alter them, but I am not joyful with it,” Ratko Simic, a Serb from the northern city of Leposavic, instructed Reuters on Thursday as he crossed from Serbia into Kosovo.

The defence ministry in Serbia, which sees Kosovo as an integral aspect of Serbian territory, claimed on Wednesday it had stepped up education of some of its troops garrisoned in close proximity to the border with Kosovo.

Main General Ferenc Kajari, commander of NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, sought to dispel fears of an imminent conflict as peacekeepers who have patrolled the region for the earlier two months fanned out to pre-empt any violence.

“We really don’t see any kind of indicator even of a preparing for a war … All those who feel responsibly they should really not talk about war,” Kajari, a Hungarian, told Reuters in an job interview on Wednesday.

Talks among Kosovo and Serbia underneath the auspices of the European Union and U.S. envoys have so significantly unsuccessful to solve the issue, even though Belgrade and Pristina final week achieved a offer on the use of own identity paperwork. study much more

Serbs account for 5% of the 1.8 million people today in Kosovo. Serbia accuses Kosovo of trampling on the rights of this ethnic minority, a demand denied by Pristina.

Kosovo is recognised by some 100 countries which include the United States and all but 5 EU users, but not by a number of other states, notably Russia and China.

Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic and Fatos Bytyci Editing by Paul Simao and Philippa Fletcher

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