The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has insisted on Thursday on-going dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo to find a solution to the license plate controversy, once the extension of the application of the rule for Kosovo to issue its own license plates to Serbian citizens expires on October 31, with no agreement in sight.
«It is of paramount importance that the rules and laws are followed, they have to be complied with in any country and if there is a transition period it has to be inclusive and calm,» he said at a joint press conference with Kosovo President Vjose Osmani as part of the tour of the Balkan countries.
The Kosovar rule that Serbs living in Kosovo will have to start using the country’s official license plates on their cars is the source of tension this summer in northern Kosovo with road blockades and violent clashes. The deadline expires in November after several extensions to the rule agreed ‘in extremis’ with the mediation of the EU and the United States.
At a press conference in the European capital, the EU Foreign Affairs spokesman, Peter Stano, assured that EU diplomacy «is not throwing in the towel» and urged Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement and avoid a new spiral of tensions and violence.
«The EU remains in contact to find a solution for an issue that has not been resolved. We have a few days until the 31st and avoid a situation of a counterproductive escalation of violence,» he stressed, reiterating that the clash goes against the interests of citizens and those of Serbia and Kosovo to get closer to the EU.»
Stano has stressed that «creating tensions» and «not talking, not discussing, not having a willingness to compromise» will not achieve the goal of advancing to the EU. «Our message remains the same, we need constructive behavior in the spirit of compromise to find a solution to all outstanding issues and avoid unilateral steps,» he has stated.
OFFERS KOSOVO TO PARTICIPATE IN JOINT GAS PURCHASES During her visit to Pristina, Von der Leyen has reached out to Kosovo and offered it to be part of the energy union and benefit from European measures to weather the crisis, including participating in joint gas purchases and imposing the gas price cap. «We have to face this crisis; we are going to face this crisis. And we are in this together because we are in an energy union,» he has assured.
The leader of the European executive has invited Kosovo to join the platform for joint gas procurement and to participate in discussions and legal proposals to respond to the energy price boom.
«We are doing everything necessary to tame high energy prices and high electricity prices. And, of course, since we are part of an Energy Union, you will also benefit from it,» he said, referring to Kosovo.
On the visa exemption for Kosovar citizens in the EU, the German conservative recalled the positive position of the European Commission and appreciated that the measure is catching on among more Member States, which ultimately have the last word on this issue.
«You have an ally in the Commission, and in me personally, on that issue,» Von der Leyen has assured, reiterating that already in 2018 Brussels favorably assessed the visa waiver after considering that Kosovo meets all the requirements. «We have reaffirmed that you meet all the necessary criteria and we stand by that. Now, our task is to convince the entire European Council. Many members of the European Council are on your side,» he added.
