US voices concern as Kosovo, Serbia fail to resolve dispute
BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – The US has voiced “concern” that Kosovo and Serbia have failed to resolve a conflict rooted in ethnic divides that emerged from a dispute over car license plates.
“The U.S. is concerned that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia were unable to reach an agreement,” Jeff Hovenier, Washington’s ambassador to Kosovo, said.
“We have asked the Government of Kosovo to postpone for 48 hours the imposition of fines to allow the EU and the United States to further engage the parties to find a solution,” Hovenier said in a statement.
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that he has accepted the US request and postponed imposing fines.
“I thank Ambassador Hovenier for his commitment and engagement. I accept his request for a 48-hour postponement on the imposition of fines for illegal ‘KM’ (and other) car plates. I am happy to work with the US and the EU to find a solution during the next two days,” said Kurti.
Serbia and Kosovo have failed to reach an agreement to resolve a dispute related to car license plates after a series of meetings in Brussels.
Ethnic Serbs in Muslim-majority Kosovo withdrew from all central and local institutions in protest against Pristina’s decision to replace old car license plates issued by Serbian authorities with those from Kosovo.
Serbia refuses to acknowledge the hard-earned independence and sovereignty of Kosovo that it won after a long struggle in 2008. Kosovo’s autonomy has been recognized by most UN member states including the US, UK, France, Germany and Türkiye.
According to the decision regarding license plates in Kosovo, owners of vehicles with Serbian license plates are to be fined €150 ($154).
Pristina said it will start issuing fines this month to drivers using pre-independence plates and will confiscate vehicles with outdated registration numbers after April 21, 2023.
The EU and the NATO have urged both Serbia and Kosovo to refrain from unilateral actions and resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.
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