EU Official Says Serbia, Kosovo Agree on IDs in Step Forward
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) The European Union's foreign policy chief announced Saturday that Serbia and Kosovo have agreed on how to resolve a dispute over their identity documents, settling one of the problems that have sparked the latest tensions between the former Balkan war foes.
The comments by Josep Borell come after a flurry of international diplomatic efforts to defuse concerns that the problems could escalate further amid the war in Ukraine and Serbia's close ties with Russia.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade does not recognize.
Tensions soared late last month when Kosovos government declared that Serb-issued identity documents and vehicle license plates would no longer be valid in Kosovos territory, just as Kosovo-issued ones are not valid in Serbia. Serbia in the past years required Kosovo ID holders to acquire special passes when traveling through Serbia to show it does not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo said it was responding with reciprocity to Serbia. But Kosovo Serbs reacted furiously, blocking roads in the Serb-dominated north. Belgrade accused Kosovo of pressuring minority Serbs in the north, who largely reject Kosovo-issued documents in defiance of Kosovo's statehood and hold Serbian ones.
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