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.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Kosovo Albanian authorities have moved to prevent Kosovo Serbs from driving vehicles with license plates for their towns issued by the MUP.
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.
"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 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.
