Peaceful but tense: Interruption of traffic and blockades on Jarinje and Brnjak, issuance of temporary plates on Merdar

In the north of Kosovo, where there are members of the special units of the Kosovo Police at the crossings of Jarinje, Brnjak and Merdare, who prevent the entry into Kosovo of vehicles with Serbian or status-neutral "KS" plates, the situation is calm but tense, and the Serbs from Leposavic and Zubin Potok are still are protesting against this measure.

As reported by the Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), traffic on the Raška - Kosovska Mitrovica and Ribarića - Zubin Potok sections is still interrupted, there are no passenger vehicles on Jarinje, and citizens from central Serbia who work in Kosovo cross the crossing on foot, from where is it further organized transportation, and it is similar at the Brnjak crossing.

In Brnjak and Jarinje, passenger transport functions by buses bringing them to the crossing, then walking 800 meters to the roadblock, where other buses or cars pick them up.

As the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kosovo announced earlier, more than 1.000 trial "RKS" plates were issued at the Merdare crossing yesterday.

The Pristina authorities stated that this move is a "reciprocal measure", because vehicles with license plates "Republic of Kosovo - RKS" are not allowed to enter the territory of central Serbia, but those vehicles must receive temporary plates issued by the Serbian authorities at the administrative crossings.

Until now, Serbian vehicles in the north of Kosovo have used license plates issued by the Serbian authorities - with registration for cities in Kosovo, or status-neutral "Unmik - KS" plates, which the Kosovo authorities have not recognized since Monday.

The agreement on the recognition of "KS" and Serbian license plates in Kosovo was signed at negotiations in Brussels in 2016, with a validity period of five years, and no new agreement was reached before September 15 of this year, when it expired.