Serbian Proposals to Resolve Kosovo Border Row ‘Rejected in Brussels’

The director of the Serbian government's office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, said on Friday that the Serbian delegation that met Kosovo officials in Brussels this week had offered two proposals to resolve the simmering dispute over identity documents and vehicle licence plates for Kosovo Serbs, but both were rejected.

"[Kosovo Prime Minister Albin] Kurti categorically refused," Petkovic said.

Petkovic, who also was part of the delegation to Brussels on Thursday, said that when it comes to the declaration needed to enter and exit Kosovo, Serbia said it is ready to accept that when citizens of Serbia who live in Serbia enter Kosovo, "they are issued an entry-exit document at the administrative crossing point by Pristina".

The issuing of such as document was agreed between Belgrade and Pristina in 2011 but has not yet been implemented yet.

But Petkovic said it must not apply to Serbs who live in Kosovo.

"This was not agreed for them and no one has the right to nullify their Serbian identity card, to demand from them that at the crossing they can only receive this document with which they will move into Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic told media in Belgrade.

The Kosovo government decided in June that anyone seeking to cross the state border using personal IDs issued by the Serbian authorities will now be issued temporary declaration forms valid for 90 days that replace their Serbian document.

The decision reciprocates Serbian authorities' non-recognition of Kosovo-issued IDs, introducing the same measure as Serbia implements towards Kosovo citizens.

Petkovic said that when it comes to the disputed issue of vehicle licence plates, Serbia suggested that all plates that Serbia has issued for cities and towns in Kosovo...