(31 Oct 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Mitrovica - 31 October 2022
1. Street scene
2. Serbian flags on street
3. Serbian flag with monument in background
4. Traffic on the street with Serbian flags on street lights
5. Cars parked
6. Various of number plates
7. Traffic on street
8. Various people on the street
9. Milica Andric Rakic, walking on the street
10. SOUNDBITE (Serbian) Milica Andric Rakic, political analyst:
"It is very confusing and it is not quite clear how this will be implemented, primarily because it is not logical to impose penalties now for something that will only come into effect in April. So (the situation) is quite uncertain. But what is certain is that in the next three weeks, until November 21, some tensions and escalation that was expected for tomorrow will be avoided. The only thing we know for sure is that we should not expect any serious escalation from tomorrow, unless Kosovo's government comes up with some additional unannounced measures that could provoke a reaction (on the Serb side). There were some rumours on social media, that are not confirmed, that from tomorrow they will close the border or will ban the vehicles with KM license plates from entering Kosovo. As I said, that has not been confirmed, but in case that happens, we are essentially back to serious potential for escalation."
11. Mid of street with banner reading (Serbian) "Welcome to the association of Serb municipalities."
12. Close of banner
13. Police on the street
14. Street scene
15. Signs reading (Serbian): "No surrender, KM (number plate) remains."
16. Sign showing crossed out RKS (Kosovo) number plates with KM (Serbian) number plates underneath with a checkmark
17. Various members of KFOR (NATO-led international peacekeeping force) soldiers walking
18. Cars parked
19. Graffiti on the wall reading (Serbian): "No surrender, KM remains."
20. Various street scenes
STORYLINE:
Kosovo's authorities have apparently bowed to international pressure and softened their decision to ban illegal vehicle license plates, a move that could avoid riots by minority Serbs over the issue.
Following a meeting Friday with ambassadors from the U.S. and four European countries - France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom - before a Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said authorities decided it was "better" to offer other facilitating opportunities.
For the first three weeks in November, those owning vehicles with illegal number plates will only be rebuked or warned.
For the next two months they will be fined, and for three other months until April 21, they will drive only with replaced local plates, the prime minister said.
U.S. Department of State spokesman Ned Price said that "an extension of the (license plates) timeline is in the interest of making progress on the EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize Kosovo-Serbia relations."
In August, the government in Pristina decided to postpone to November 1 the decision to require vehicles holding old or Serbian number plates to replace them with Kosovar ones.
That also meant that vehicles entering from Serbia had to replace Serbian license plates with Kosovo ones.
For the past 11 years, the reverse was required by Serbia for vehicles coming in from Kosovo.
Trouble brewed this summer over Serbia's and Kosovo's refusal to recognize each other's identity documents and vehicle license plates.
In August, EU and U.S. envoys negotiated a solution to the travel documents problem, allowing the situation to calm down.
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