Serbia and Kosovo are settling a years-long dispute over license plates

Over the years, Kosovar and Serbian drivers have sometimes had to hide their license plates to be allowed to drive into the neighboring country. At the beginning of the year, Serbia repealed this regulation – and now Kosovo is following suit.

Serbia and Kosovo have resolved a long-running dispute over license plates. Drivers of Serbian vehicles wishing to enter Kosovo no longer have to cover the national emblems on their license plates.

The Kosovo government made the decision in Pristina on Thursday evening. The new regulation, published in the official gazette, came into effect today.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurdi said on the online network Facebook that the government is ready to do this now that the Serbian side has already “fully” implemented it. The whole thing is based “on the principle of reciprocity as a model for the regulation of relations between sovereign states.”

Serbia does not want to recognize Kosovo's independence

Kosovo followed a similar regulation implemented by the Serbian government earlier in the year. Accordingly, the license plates of vehicles from Kosovo do not have to be partially covered. Belgrade was previously offended by the country code “RKS” – which stands for the country's name, the Republic of Kosovo – and an image of the Kosovo flag.

However, the Serbian government's Kosovo representative, Peter Petkovic, said earlier this week that the registration of all vehicles was a “purely practical decision” and “cannot be interpreted as recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of so-called Kosovo”.

States agreed to the stickers in 2021

Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008. After Kosovo introduced its own vehicle license plates in 2010, Serbia issued temporary license plates to vehicles from Kosovo when crossing the border. In autumn 2021, both sides agreed to a settlement with stickers under EU mediation. It was only intended to be temporary anyway and expired at the beginning of the year.

Many Western countries recognize Kosovo, while Serbia, Russia and China reject its independence, which is why it cannot be admitted to the United Nations.