https://english.gazetatema.net/kurti-says-todays-agreement-marks-the-beginning-of-a-new-era-of-reciprocity-for-serbia/

30 SHTATOR 2021, 15:11POLITICS

Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti has reacted to the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia on the issue of license plates.

In a message posted on social media, Kurti says that since Kosovo’s plates in Serbia will be covered, all Serbian plates will also have their symbol covered in Kosovo.

 

According to Kurti, this marks the beginning of an era when Serbia will need to get used to reciprocity.

 

What did the sides agree on?

 

EU envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak said on Thursday that an agreement has been reached to deescalate the situation in the north of Kosovo.

 

A letter posted by the EU diplomat on Twitter, says that the parties have agreed on the following points:

 

The Special police units currently deployed at Jarinje and Brnjak CCPs will be removed simultaneously with the roadblocks starting on 2 October 2021 at 08:00 and finishing no later than 16:00. KFOR will deploy at Jarinje and Brnjak CCPs before the beginning of the simultaneous removal and will remain for approximately two weeks to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement.

 

As of 4 October 2021, at 08:00, the sticker regime as agreed in the framework of the EU-facilitated Dialogue will be applied as a temporary measure until a permanent solution is agreed.

 

A working Group consisting of the representatives of the EU, Belgrade, and Pristina parties, and chaired by the EU will be established to find a permanent solution to the licence plate issue based on EU standards and practices. The first meeting of the Working Group will be held on 21 October 2021 in Brussels. Within six months from its first meeting, the Working Group will present its findings on a permanent solution to the high-level format of the Dialogue.

 

Tensions soared 10 days ago when local Serbs blocked the roads leading to these two border crossing points in a sign of protest against the government of Kosovo’s decision to remove Serbian license plates from cars entering Kosovo and replace them with temporary plates. At that time, Kosovo authorities said this was a reciprocal measure as Serbia had done the same in the past ten years.