Serbs in Kosovo end longstanding dispute over vehicle license plates

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Serbs living in Kosovo replaced their vehicle license plates issued by Serbian institutions and symbolizing Kosovo cities with Republic of Kosovo (RKS) license plates on Wednesday, ending a long-lasting dispute.

Serbs in the north of Kosovo formed a queue at a vehicle inspection station located in the north of Mitrovica, where mostly Serbs live.

Kosovo Police Northern Region Deputy Director Veton Elshani told Anadolu that approximately 1,500 people in the region have received RKS vehicle license plates since Nov. 1.

Kosovo Serb Dragan Kostic, who was at the queue, said he has been able to use his car with Serbian license plates freely until now.

"Today I came to re-register my vehicle from the KM plate (issued by Serbia) to RKS. I decided to do this because there was no other way out. I live in a country we do not recognize. But realistically, it is known. The whole world has accepted it, but I don't want it,'' he said.

Kostic added that he was afraid of his car being arsoned or attacked.

A group of Serbs who do not want to get an RKS license plate aim to register their vehicles in cities in Serbia and use them in Kosovo as an alternative.

The Kosovo government announced that it was granting an additional period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1 for the vehicle license plates issued by Serbian institutions and symbolizing Kosovo cities to be replaced with RKS plates in the settlements where mostly Serbs live in the country.

Those license plates that have not been changed as of Dec. 1 will not be allowed to drive in the region.

Kosovo authorities estimate that there are approximately 10,000 vehicles with illegal license plates.

The process of changing vehicle license plates has caused crises many times in the north of the country.

Serbs, who did not want to change their vehicle license plates, set up barricades on the main streets of the northern settlements on July 31, 2022 and collectively resigned from the central and local institutions of Kosovo in November of the same year.

This year, more than 10 vehicles belonging to Kosovo Serbs who received RKS license plates were set on fire by an unidentified person or persons while parked.

Serbia considers Kosovo, which declared its unilateral independence in 2008, as its own territory.