Belgrade Ready to Partially Accept Kosovo's Requirements on Entry Documents

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - The Serbian leadership is ready to partially accept the requirements of the Kosovo-Albanian authorities in Pristina for entry documents into the region under certain conditions and EU guarantees, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday.

"We are ready to accept their documents and issue a general explanation and place it at the points of administrative transition in accordance with the previously signed one, but there is one condition because of which the agreement was not reached earlier, we are waiting for the EU guarantee," Vucic said in an appeal to citizens.

The president added that ensuring the possibility of using personal documents issued by Pristina "is made solely for practical reasons in order to facilitate the situation of individuals and ensure freedom of movement in accordance with the freedom of movement agreement reached in the dialogue in 2011, and cannot be interpreted as recognition of the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo and predestination of the final status of Kosovo, cannot be considered as Belgrade's consent to derogation from UN Security Council resolution 1244."

Serbian military and armored vehicles near the road between the village of Raska and the Yarine checkpoint on the administrative line between central Serbia and northern Kosovo

© Sputnik / Oleg Ivanov

On Friday, Minister of Internal Affairs of Kosovo Xhelal Svecla said that the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic would not hesitate to impose a ban on entry to persons with Serbian personal documents and car numbers issued by Belgrade from September 1, and that police had every opportunity to implement this decision. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that he would not postpone the introduction of controversial measures.

The head of Serbia's office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that NATO should prevent any attempt by Kosovo to deploy special police forces to the northern part of the self-declared republic or the Serbian people would take matters into their own hands.

The recent escalation between Serbia and Kosovo, which Belgrade sees as its breakaway region, was triggered when Pristina announced plans to introduce new border rules from August 1. The controversial move pushed Serbs to set up roadblocks. Kosovo authorities eventually decided to postpone implementing the new regulations until September 1, on the condition that the roadblocks are removed. Brussels urged the sides to negotiate further, but the talks fell through.