Serbia, Kosovo reach free movement agreement under EU-facilitated dialogue

Updated with comments, background, and quotes

Serbia and Kosovo agreed on an arrangement for free movement between their countries on Saturday (27 August), in a major development towards defusing long-standing antagonism that had contributed to violent incidents in northern Kosovo.

Two issues had fuelled tensions between the neighbours, including Pristina’s requirement that all Kosovo citizens with Serbian-issued plates on their cars exchange them for those issued locally. The other is a requirement for an additional document for Serbians entering the country. Both are reciprocal measures to those imposed on Kosovo by Serbia.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Twitter, “Citizens of our Republic may now travel to Serbia freely as equals. I want to thank HRVP Borrell, EUSR Lajcak, DAS Escobar & Ambassador Hovenier for their contribution. Reciprocity is the spirit of a principled & just solution. Kosovo will not introduce entry-exit docs for Serbian IDs.”

While the news is a significant breakthrough, the issue of number plates remains unresolved.

On 31 July, tensions flared as Kosovo implemented the requirement impacting some 50,000 Kosovo Serbs in the north of the country who are backed by Belgrade and do not recognise Kosovo institutions. They responded by setting up roadblocks eventually removed by EU police forces and NATO-led KFOR peacekeepers.

The number plate decision is set to come into force on 1 September, but for now, at least, the document issue has been resolved.

“We have a deal,” EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said, announcing Serbia had agreed to abolish its entry-exit document for Kosovo ID holders, and Kosovo had agreed not to introduce them for Serbian ID holders.

“I am very happy that we have found a European solution that facilitates travel between Kosovo and Serbia,” he added, thanking both leaders.

The agreement comes after talks in Brussels on 18 August between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, chaired by the EU’s chief diplomat, failed to break an impasse.

Vučić noted earlier on Saturday said he had little hope for an accord on license plates any time soon.

Source of the issue

The source of the disputes between the two countries is Belgrade’s refusal to recognise Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 following the 1998-1999 war, which saw massacres of ethnic Albanians at the hands of Serbs and the displacement of 1.5 million people in Kosovo.

The step is seen as a major concession by Serbia, which had previously refused to accept Pristina-issued documents, worried it could be seen as a recognition of the country’s sovereignty. Serbia still considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory.

Ethnic Serbs account for 5% of Kosovo’s 1.8 million population, which is 90% ethnic Albanian.

EU intervention

On Thursday (25 August), Escobar, together with EU envoy Miroslav Lajčák met with Vučić in Belgrade after holding talks in Kosovo as part of the efforts to ease tensions.

The EU has facilitated the dialogue between the two countries for over a decade, and while several agreements have been signed, few have been implemented.

A resolution of the dispute is one of the requirements for both countries’ progress on their path toward full-fledged EU membership. Vučić has repeated that Serbia will never recognise Kosovo’s independence, meaning more obstacles ahead are likely.

At the same time, the increased tensions led NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to say last week that the alliance’s KFOR peacekeeping forces were “ready to do more” in Kosovo if needed.

The military alliance held separate meetings in Brussels last week with Vučić and Kurti to discuss the recent tensions.

NATO has nearly 4,000 troops stationed in the country.

NATO ready to step up forces if Serbia-Kosovo tensions escalate

NATO will increase its peacekeeping force in Kosovo if there is an escalation of tensions with neighbouring Serbia, the alliance’s chief said on Wednesday (17 August), on the eve of EU-facilitated talks between the estranged western Balkan neighbours.

[Edited by Benjamin Fox/Alice Taylor]

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