• Kosovo, Serbia chief negotiators reach deal on licence plates (media)
• U.S. welcomes agreement to avoid further escalation of tensions (media)
• Chollet: Good call with Kurti; thanked him for constructive engagement (media)
• Osmani thanks Hovenier and U.S. Govt for active engagement in deal (media)
• EU: Kosovo, Serbia reach deal to end dangerous dispute over plates (Reuters)
• Bislimi: Borrell will soon invite Kurti and Vucic to discuss EU plan (media)
• Govt spokesman: Parties agreed to focus on French-German plan (media)
• Austria’s Foreign Minister welcomes Kosovo-Serbia agreement (media)
• Haradinaj welcomes agreement; “process to conclude with recognition” (media)
• Osmani: Elections in the north will be held, CEC is ready (RTK)
• Hebestreit: Plates shouldn’t hinder dialogue; Association to enter agenda (Klan)
• Abott: Resolving immediate issues, essential for Kosovo long-term goals (media)
• Von Cramon: Removing visa liberalisation from agenda, unacceptable (Kallxo)
• Mandl: Visa liberalisation has nothing to do with tensions in north (media)
• Government adopts official position on Kosovo’s bid for EU membership (media)
• Serbs Of Southern Kosovo See Belgrade Helping Northerners And Ask: But Who Will Take Care Of Us? (RFE)

Kosovo, Serbia chief negotiators reach deal on licence plates (media)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Wednesday night that chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia reached a deal on licence plates and which will allow to avoid further escalation.

Below is Borrell’s full statement on the deal reached by chief negotiators of both sides in Brussels:

Under the EU Facilitation, the Parties have agreed on measures to avoid further escalation and to fully concentrate, as a matter of urgency, on the proposal on the normalisation of their relations, as presented this September by the EU Facilitator and supported by France and Germany.

This means that Serbia will stop issuing licence plates with Kosovo cities’s denominations, and that Kosovo will cease any further actions related to re-registration of vehicles.

The EU will ensure that key issues and principles related to normalisation will be addressed in the context of the proposal. The Parties understand that all past Dialogue agreements must be implemented.

I will invite the Parties in the coming days to discuss the next steps within the framework of the proposal with the aim to present results by the Special Group on Normalisation with Kosovo and the next update on Chapter 35 for Serbia. In case of obstruction by either Party, the EU Facilitator may terminate the process.

I and EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak will continue to facilitate the process of normalisation of relations and update the EU Member States and partners regularly about the process achieved by the Parties.

The EU Special Representative for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Twitter post: “My thanks tonight go to Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic for their constructive engagement today. And a big thanks to the U.S. State Department and the US diplomacy for their invaluable support!”

U.S. welcomes agreement to avoid further escalation of tensions (media)

Most media cover a statement by Ned Price, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, welcoming the agreement that Kosovo and Serbia chief negotiators reached on Wednesday in Brussels. Below is the full statement:

The United States welcomes the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia on measures to avoid further escalation of tensions.  We further commend the two countries’ agreement to concentrate fully and urgently on normalizing relations under the auspices of the EU-facilitated dialogue.  We support the EU-facilitated dialogue as the best path to advance Serbia’s and Kosovo’s European future.

We welcome the decision by the parties to put the interests of all their people at the forefront of their decision making and take steps to improve the everyday lives of their citizens.  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.

Chollet: Good call with Kurti; thanked him for constructive engagement (media)

Counselor of the U.S. State Department, Derek Chollet, said in a Twitter post that he had a good call with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and “thanked him for constructive engagement in finding a way forward to deescalate tensions and committing to urgently work on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia in the EU-facilitated dialogue, which the U.S. strongly supports.”

Osmani thanks Hovenier and U.S. Govt for active engagement in deal (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani thanked on Wednesday evening the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, and the U.S. Government “for their active engagement in reaching today’s deal in Brussels. Their support for the dialog process between Kosovo and Serbia is indispensable. Kosovo is grateful.”

EU: Kosovo, Serbia reach deal to end dangerous dispute over car plates (Reuters)

Kosovo and Serbia reached a deal on Wednesday to end a nearly two-year dispute over car licence plates in northern Kosovo, which the West had warned could trigger ethnic violence, the European Union's foreign policy chief said.

"We have a deal," Josep Borrell posted on Twitter after the agreement was reached in Brussels under EU mediation.

"Very pleased to announce that chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia under EU-facilitation have agreed on measures to avoid further escalation and to fully concentrate on the proposal on normalisation of their relations."

Kosovo had planned to start issuing fines from Thursday to some 10,000 Serb drivers who continue to use Serbian-issued car licence plates.

A previous attempt on Monday failed when Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic could not reach a deal and Kosovo was forced to delay the start of fining the drivers for 48 hours after a U.S. request.

"Serbia will stop issuing licence plates with Kosovo cities’ denominations and Kosovo will cease further actions related to re-registration of vehicles," Borrell wrote.

Borrell said he will invite both parties in the coming days to discuss an EU proposal, supported also by France and Germany, that will allow the foes to normalise relations.

Kosovo has attempted this year to require its Serb minority to change their old car plates that date before 1999 when Kosovo was still part of Serbia. Serbs in the northern part of the country have resisted, sometimes violently.

Bislimi: Borrell will soon invite Kurti and Vucic to discuss EU plan (media)

Kosovo’s chief negotiator in talks with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, said after the agreement on licence plates was reached that EU High Representative Josep Borrell will soon invite Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to discuss the EU plan which is supported by France and Germany.

“After several-hour discussions, we reached an agreement that now opens all doors to start with intensive talks on the plan proposed by the European Union and with backing from Germany and France,” Bislimi said.

“Borrell will very soon invite the two leaders to start intensive talks about his proposal, with backing from Germany and France.”

Govt spokesman: Parties agreed to focus on French-German plan (media)

Spokesman for the Kosovo Government, Perparim Kryeziu, said the agreement on the licence plates reached on Wednesday is in line with Kosovo’s request presented at the meeting in Brussels on Monday. “With the agreement reached on Wednesday, the parties have agreed to fully focus and engage in the French-German proposal, towards the full normalisation of relations. This is what Kosovo insisted on during the meetings on Monday. From now on we negotiate on the agreement,” he said.

Austria’s Foreign Minister welcomes Kosovo-Serbia agreement (media)

Austria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg, welcomed the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia chief negotiators in Brussels on Wednesday. “Good news from Brussels! This deal between Kosovo and Serbia is important to keep up the momentum for further progress in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. Many thanks to EU High Representative Josep Borrell and EUSR Miroslav Lajcak for their continuous efforts. We need de-escalation, not another conflict!” Schallenberg tweeted.

Haradinaj welcomes agreement; “process to conclude with recognition” (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, welcomed the agreement on licence plates reached on Wednesday in Brussels. “I welcome the agreement on the licence plates. Now the agreement on recognition must be concluded, with U.S. leadership,” Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Osmani: Elections in the north will be held, CEC is ready (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has held a consultative meeting with political parties with regards to the early elections for the Municipal Assembly of Zvecan and that of Leposaviq. According to the president, the CEC is ready for the organization of elections, while the institutions will undertake adequate measures so that citizens, as Osmani said, regardless of ethnicity, exercise their constitutional right to vote.

In a press release it is stated that President Osmani, bearing in mind the legal deadlines set by the legislation in force, as well as the legal obligations for consultations with political parties, has held a consultative meeting regarding the setting of the date of early elections for the Municipal Assembly of Zvecan and that of Leposavic.

The president has said that she will set the date of holding the early elections for the Municipal Assembly of Zvecan and that of Leposaviq within the legal deadlines.

Hebestreit: Plates shouldn’t hinder dialogue; Association to enter agenda (Klan)

Spokesman for the German Federal Government, Steffen Hebestreit, said on Wednesday that the situation surrounding the licence plates should not hinder the dialogue on normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia.

"The German government is disappointed that the Prime Minister of Kosovo Kurti and the President of Serbia Vucic failed to agree on a solution to the current crisis on Monday," he said on Wednesday afternoon at the regular press conference of the German government, while answering a question from Deutsche Welle.

He requested that a solution be found for illegal license plates. Hebestreit welcomed the fact that Kurti postponed the deadline for taking punitive measures and called for this time to be used to reach a solution:

"It is good that the government in Kosovo has decided to suspend for 48 hours the executive measures, i.e. the imposition of fines. It is important that this period be used to reach a lasting solution to this dispute, which would also lead to an escalation of the situation."

Hebestreit appealed to the government of Kosovo not to impose fines in this period. "In this context, we call on the government of Kosovo not to take any executive measures related to the change of license plates, so as not to hinder a lasting solution."

Hebestreit further pointed out the necessity of reaching an agreement in the dialogue as soon as possible. "The current escalation shows once again how urgent the progress between Kosovo and Serbia is, in order to reach a comprehensive agreement between the two states."

"The Federal Government supports the efforts of the representative of the EU for foreign affairs and the special envoy Lajcak, to harmonize the dialogue between these two countries in this matter. Our appeal to the governments of both countries is to engage constructively on this issue. According to the German government, the Association of Municipalities with a Serb majority should also be included in the dialogue agenda."

Abott: Resolving immediate issues, essential for Kosovo’s long-term goals (media)

UK Ambassador to Kosovo Nicholas Abbot said he met with President Vjosa Osmani on Wednesday to discuss bilateral and regional relations. “I had a positive discussion with President Vjosa Osmani today on bilateral and regional relations. Resolving immediate issues is essential for Kosovo to achieve its longer term aims,” Abbot wrote on Facebook after the meeting.

Von Cramon: Removing visa liberalisation from agenda, unacceptable (Kallxo)

The European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, said the removal of visa liberalization for Kosovo from the agenda of the European Council unacceptable. “Visa Liberalisation for Kosovo is long overdue and must be delivered unconditionally, whereby its today's removal from EU Council agenda is absolutely unacceptable. The visa liberalization and EU-led Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue must remain separate issues!” she wrote in a Twitter post.

Mandl: Visa liberalisation has nothing to do with tensions in north (media)

The Austrian MEP Lukas Mandl has said that the liberalization of visas is not related to the tensions in the north of Kosovo.

"I can only recommend to the governments of the member states not to connect the liberalization of visas with the tensions in the north of Kosovo. These tensions were created and organized by organized crime groups controlled by Belgrade," Mandl said.

Speaking about the situation in the north of Kosovo, Mandl said that Belgrade will also have to contribute to de-escalate instead of escalating the situation. "Vucic's withdrawal from the negotiations is again an act of escalation on his part. He has no moral right to do so. He has a moral obligation to contribute to de-escalation and mutual understanding. There is absolutely no connection between this and the liberalization of visas," MEP Lukas Mandl said.

"Visa-free travel for the people of the Republic of Kosovo is delayed. The EU must keep its promises. To the small minority of member state governments that are blocking the whole process, I recommend that they withdraw from this blockade and allow the people of Kosovo to travel as the people of the other five countries of the Western Balkans do. I strongly recommend the Council to quickly decide on this positively, without further delay," Mandl said.

Government adopts official position on Kosovo’s bid for EU membership (media)

The Executive Commission for Kosovo's Membership in the European Union (EU), at the meeting held on Wednesday, approved Kosovo's official position for applying for EU membership. This is the first meeting of this Commission, and it was chaired by the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.

"During this meeting, the geopolitical situation and other relevant developments were discussed. The Commission confirmed the commitment and orientation of the country for European integration and approved the official position of the Republic of Kosovo for application to the European Union before the end of this year. In the meeting, it was said that Kosovo's strategic goal is membership in the European Union, and that it has proven this through the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement for six years now, the Agenda for European Reforms, regional cooperation and participation in EU programs and different formats within it," it is stated in the announcement of the government.

The committee members also discussed the next steps of the subordinate institutions until the submission of the application. This commission was established by the government of Kosovo and functions as an inter-institutional mechanism, responsible for the preparation of the EU membership application.

Serbs Of Southern Kosovo See Belgrade Helping Northerners And Ask: But Who Will Take Care Of Us? (RFE)

Nearly every day for nine months, a few desperate residents of Verboc, or Vrbovac in Serbo-Croatian, have picketed on the steps of an office for Serb self-government here in southeastern Kosovo to demand jobs. For themselves. For a spouse. Or for their grown children.

Their ranks have thinned from around 40 when their protest began.

But the half-dozen or so holdouts in front of the Temporary Municipal Authority in the district hub of Viti, or Vitija in Serbo-Croatian, have persisted despite alleged threats, name-calling, and other pressure that some of them privately blame on ideologically driven fellow Serbs who oppose cooperation with Kosovo's authorities in almost any form and who are cozier with Belgrade.

Like those co-ethnics, the Verboc protesters regard Serbia as their homeland despite Kosovo's declaration of independence 14 years ago and its recognition by more than 100 countries -- Serbia not among them.

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