License plates issue "could lead to conflicts"

Ministry for Kosovo State Secretary Oliver Ivanovic has warned that the government in Pristina was abusing the license plates issue to create a crisis. The Kosovo Albanian authorities have moved to prevent Kosovo Serbs from driving vehicles with license plates for their towns issued by the MUP. License plates issue "could lead to conflicts" Ivanovic said that the situation "could lead to conflicts between Serbs and the Kosovo police (KPS)". "Kosovo's government is creating a political issue and problem out of the new Serbian license plates in order to improve their negotiating position in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which is inevitable," Ivanovic told the Blic newspaper. "We have three very simple facts here. One, the (new) license plates have been announced a long time ago. Two, Serbian license plates were valid in the entire territory of Serbia, and that means Kosovo and Metohija too, and there's nothing new about that now. Three, KS (Kosovo) license plates were not valid before, and they are not valid now," said he. Ivanovic sees the attempt of the Pristina authorities to abuse the issue and improve their negotiating position as the only "new moment", and likened it to last year's destruction of telecommunications property in Serb areas and enclaves. He also noted that cars with "KS" license plates - i.e., issued by the Kosovo Albanian authorities - have no problem crossing the bridge over the Ibar River and traveling to the ethnically mixed Kosovska Mitrovica neighborhood of Bosnjacka Mahala in the Serb-dominated north. "I often see them on the road toward Leposavic. So far several hundred new (Serbian) license plates have been issued, and there should be some 20,000. I wonder how they'll stop Serbs at (administrative line checkpoints) Rudnica and Brnjak? That could lead to a total blockade of the crossings and conflicts with unforeseeable consequences," warned Ivanovic. Oliver Ivanovic (Beta, file)

License plates issue "could lead to conflicts"

Ivanović said that the situation "could lead to conflicts between Serbs and the Kosovo police (KPS)".

"Kosovo's government is creating a political issue and problem out of the new Serbian license plates in order to improve their negotiating position in the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, which is inevitable," Ivanović told the Blic newspaper.

"We have three very simple facts here. One, the (new) license plates have been announced a long time ago. Two, Serbian license plates were valid in the entire territory of Serbia, and that means Kosovo and Metohija too, and there's nothing new about that now. Three, KS (Kosovo) license plates were not valid before, and they are not valid now," said he.

Ivanović sees the attempt of the Priština authorities to abuse the issue and improve their negotiating position as the only "new moment", and likened it to last year's destruction of telecommunications property in Serb areas and enclaves.

He also noted that cars with "KS" license plates - i.e., issued by the Kosovo Albanian authorities - have no problem crossing the bridge over the Ibar River and traveling to the ethnically mixed Kosovska Mitrovica neighborhood of Bošnjačka Mahala in the Serb-dominated north.

"I often see them on the road toward Leposavić. So far several hundred new (Serbian) license plates have been issued, and there should be some 20,000. I wonder how they'll stop Serbs at (administrative line checkpoints) Rudnica and Brnjak? That could lead to a total blockade of the crossings and conflicts with unforeseeable consequences," warned Ivanović.