Vucic: Pristina Wants Conflict, Has Been Planning It for Months

Aleksandar Vucic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Nov. 21 that Belgrade had found no issues with the European Union's proposal to overcome the license plate dispute, and that Pristina had not accepted it because it wants conflict and has been planning for it for months.

Vucic told a news conference in Belgrade that Kosovo authorities had "sent everything there is in Pristina of special police to four different destinations tonight."

He said the Serbian delegation had arrived in Brussels on Nov. 21 for meetings with Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti, EU High Representative Josep Borrell and EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak "with the clear intent" to make an agreement and compromise, and to try to keep the peace.

He reiterated that Serbia would respect Borrell's demand and not renew Serbian license plates for Kosovo municipalities, while Pristina already announced it would not meet the request and that a hard period would start from Nov. 22 for Serbs, but that there was no reason to panic.

Vucic said intelligence revealed that the situation on the ground was on the edge of conflict and that he would speak with Serbs from Kosovo and tell them that peace was in the interest of all, and that if they protested they should do so peacefully and democratically.

The police in Pristina confirmed it would begin to fine Kosovo drivers of cars with Serbia-issued license plates with the initial letters of towns in Kosovo and Metohija at 8 a.m. on Nov. 22, the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation reported.