“Decision on plates represents abuse of agreement”

The announcement that vehicles without Kosovo license plates will be seized represents an abuse of the agreement reached in Brussels, Borislav Stefanovic says. “There are no deals or secret parts of the agreement and what is certain is that it says in the Agreement on Freedom of Movement that both parties will do everything they can to make sure that citizens living in Kosovo and Metohija can use either KS (Kosovo) or RKS (Republic of Kosovo) plates,” he said. “Decision on plates represents abuse of agreement” The Belgrade negotiating team chief told Zvecan-based TV Most that “the Republic of Serbia has no obligation to accept unilateral and illegal decisions of the Pristina authorities”. Stefanovic stressed that “things that have been happening in Kosovo in the last several days are a consequences of the unilateral and violent act of the Pristina authorities”. “This is their act of violence and this way they are trying to prevent the citizens from entering the territory of Kosovo and Metohija with license plates that have prefixes of the Serbian municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said. According to Stefanovic, numerous meetings with representatives of the international community were held in order to resolve the issue as soon as possible. “The Republic of Serbia will never stop issuing Serbian license plates and Serbian documents and this is not and it never will be a part of the agreement with Pristina,” the lead negotiator said and repeated that the agreements were public, clear and in accordance with the Serbian Constitution. Stefanovic said that it would be necessary to take adequate measures, after the new government had been formed, that would allow the citizens to continue to use the Serbian license plates. “We will continue to issue Serbian documents and we will this way prevent any violence and snatching by the Pristina temporary institutions,” he stressed. The agreement on freedom of movement between Belgrade and Pristina came into effect on December 26. The Kosovo authorities have announced that they will in accordance with the agreement start seizing vehicles with license plates issued by the Serbian police (MUP) on June 1. Kosovo Serbs have protested against the announcement. Borislav Stefanovic (Beta, file) Beta

“Decision on plates represents abuse of agreement”

The Belgrade negotiating team chief told Zvečan-based TV Most that “the Republic of Serbia has no obligation to accept unilateral and illegal decisions of the Priština authorities”.

Stefanović stressed that “things that have been happening in Kosovo in the last several days are a consequences of the unilateral and violent act of the Priština authorities”.

“This is their act of violence and this way they are trying to prevent the citizens from entering the territory of Kosovo and Metohija with license plates that have prefixes of the Serbian municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija,” he said.

According to Stefanović, numerous meetings with representatives of the international community were held in order to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

“The Republic of Serbia will never stop issuing Serbian license plates and Serbian documents and this is not and it never will be a part of the agreement with Priština,” the lead negotiator said and repeated that the agreements were public, clear and in accordance with the Serbian Constitution.

Stefanović said that it would be necessary to take adequate measures, after the new government had been formed, that would allow the citizens to continue to use the Serbian license plates.

“We will continue to issue Serbian documents and we will this way prevent any violence and snatching by the Priština temporary institutions,” he stressed.

The agreement on freedom of movement between Belgrade and Priština came into effect on December 26. The Kosovo authorities have announced that they will in accordance with the agreement start seizing vehicles with license plates issued by the Serbian police (MUP) on June 1.

Kosovo Serbs have protested against the announcement.