Serbias Vucic Wary Of Tensions In Kosovo After Pristina Enforces License Plate Policy

Serbian President Alexandar Vucic says that he does not expect the Kosovo authorities to backtrack on their decision to penalize citizens driving with Serbian-issued license plates, warning that the controversial policy may plunge the breakaway province in yet another escalation after November 21.

Vucic said he would take part in a new round of EU-mediated negotiations between Serbia and Pristina on Monday morning. The meeting will focus on the controversial decision to impose fines on drivers that have not swapped Serbian-issued license plates for Kosovo-issued documents. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is also expected to participate.

"If (Kurti) had wanted to postpone the decision, he would have postponed it earlier. I think the idea is that he was given the opportunity to postpone the supposedly right decision. But Kurti has shown that he does not want Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucic told the tv Prva broadcaster.

  Serbia will support its citizens living in the north of Kosovo and Metohija in case of an armed conflict, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with Prva TV channel on Sunday.

""The Kosovo police <...> have nothing to do in northern Kosovo. Serbia [in case of a conflict] will be with its people. <...> I hope that this [armed conflict] will not happen, but it no longer depends on us. We would like to avoid it," Vucic stressed.