Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026

Kosovo and Serbia reach deal on license plate dispute — Borrell

Kosovo and Serbia reach deal on license plate dispute — Borrell

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo reached an agreement to end their dispute over license plates, according to the European Union’s top diplomat.
“We have a deal,” said the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell in a tweet on Wednesday.

The most recent rise in tensions between the two sides is over Kosovo’s plan to begin fining thousands of motorists who currently have Serb-issued license plates.

The move angered Serbs in northern Kosovo who, like Belgrade, do not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.

Many people have resigned from public institutions to protest the new provision, including hundreds of police officers.

The deal announced by Borrell appeared to be similar to the agreement Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti failed to reach on Monday.

Borrell said that Serbia agreed to stop issuing license plates with Kosovo cities’ denomination on them while Kosovo would “cease further actions related to re-registration of vehicles.”

“This is an important achievement,” he stressed in a video statement. “I will invite the parties in the coming days to discuss the next steps.”

Kurti had previously suspended the plan to fine motorists for 48 hours due to a request by the United States.

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani meanwhile thanked the US in a tweet on Wednesday ”for their active engagement in reaching today’s deal in Brussels.”

Osmani had accused Borrell of bias over his statement singling out Kosovo for the breakdown of the deal on Monday.

Borrell had criticized the leaders on Monday for failing to reach a deal, stating that he would inform EU countries and their international partners about “the unconstructive behavior of parties and complete lack of respect for their international legal obligations, and this goes in particular for Kosovo.”

Washington welcomed the agreement, with State Department spokesman Ned Price, stating that “the two parties took a giant step forward today, with EU facilitation, towards assuring peace and stability throughout the region.”

“The United States applauds the constructive negotiations and encourages further progress towards normalization of relations,” he added.

The issue of Kosovo’s independence sparked a 1998-99 war in which about 13,000 people died. Serbia launched a brutal crackdown to curb a separatist rebellion by the territory’s ethnic Albanians. NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 to end the war.

The EU-backed Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, which is aimed at normalizing relations between the neighbors and former foes in the Western Balkans, has been at a virtual standstill for years and prompted fears that violence could flare up again.

France and Germany had sought to reinvigorate the dialogue over the past few months, by supporting the latest EU proposal.

Besnik Bislimi, Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator said that “after today’s agreement, we should continue our intensive talks on the proposal of EU, backed by Germany and France, for full normalization of relations.”

Petar Petković, Serbia’s chief negotiator, meanwhile said they had “saved KM plates”.

He conceded however that Serbia will not issue “completely new KM plates”, stressing that “in the last three years no new KM plates have been issued.”

“We managed to preserve peace and stability,” he went on. “The dialogue and talks continue and that is the most important thing because we need to move in the direction of normalizing relations, above all normalizing relations on the ground when it comes to normal life and the life of all people.”

Both Belgrade and Pristina have put in bids to become EU member states but neither is likely to join the bloc while their dispute remains unresolved.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Targets South African Professionals in New Recruitment Drive Amid Regional Uncertainty
Formula One Faces Major Financial Hit as Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Cancelled Amid Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Saudi Firms Launch Local Production of Attritable Drone Systems in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and UAE Warn Rising Gulf Tensions Could Endanger Regional Security
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Encouraged Prolonged War With Iran
Saudi Arabia to Host World’s Largest Single-Cell Protein Plant as Food Security Push Accelerates
Saudi Crown Prince Urges Trump to Continue Military Pressure on Iran
Iran Intensifies Drone Campaign Against Saudi Arabia as Gulf Conflict Escalates
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Washington State Pilot Among Six U.S. Airmen Killed in Military Aircraft Crash Over Iraq
Severe Storm Threat Looms Over Washington as Tornado Risk and Damaging Winds Target Mid-Atlantic
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Saudi Stocks Edge Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Slips Slightly at Market Close
Iranian Missile and Drone Strike Targets Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base Hosting US Aircraft
Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Drone Over Eastern Province as Iranian Strike Campaign Intensifies
Middle East War Reshapes Gulf Economies as Saudi Arabia and Oman Gain Strategic Leverage While UAE Faces Economic Shock
Iranian Ambassador in Riyadh Blames ‘Enemies’ for Attacks Across the Gulf
Israeli Envoy Ron Dermer Reportedly Visits Saudi Arabia for Discussions on Potential Lebanon Talks
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Scheduled for April
Iran’s Ambassador in Riyadh Rejects Claims Tehran Targeted Saudi Oil Facilities
Saudi Arabia Declares 2026 ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’ in Major Push for Data-Driven Economy
Saudi Arabia’s 2018 Budget Signals Strong Push for Non-Oil Economic Growth
Pakistan Envoy in Riyadh Says Regional Diplomacy Intensifying to Prevent Wider Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Dozens of Drones as Regional Strikes Kill Two in Oman
Saudi Arabia Redirects Oil Exports to Red Sea Ports as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile and Drone Barrage as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Iran Expands Drone and Missile Campaign Across Gulf as Conflict With US and Israel Intensifies
Muslims Worldwide Await Saudi Moon Sighting to Confirm Eid al-Fitr 2026 Date
F1 Calendar Faces Major Disruption as Middle East Conflict Threatens Bahrain and Saudi Races
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Saudi Arabia Slashes Oil Output as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Cuts Deep Into Gulf Revenues
Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene Presses Ahead as Nation Navigates Regional War
Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Faces Real-World Constraints as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Offers Two Million Barrels of Crude From Red Sea as War Disrupts Gulf Exports
Formula One Faces Tens of Millions in Lost Revenue if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Are Cancelled
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Downs Dozens of Iranian Drones in Major Defensive Operation
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by About Twenty Percent as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Flows
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Iran War
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Saudi Arabia Launches Royal Institute of Anthropology to Examine Social Transformation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Saudi Arabia for High-Level Talks
×