Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti on November 24 defended a late-hour deal with Serbia to avert a crisis and possible ethnic violence over license-plate restrictions and said it paves the way for "big steps" to normalize relations between the Balkan neighbors.
He told a session of Kosovo's national legislature, the Assembly, that "we will not impose fines" for Serbian-era license plates in the former Serbian province, which declared independence in 2008 that's been recognized by more than 100 countries.
Kurti told lawmakers that "we will give space for negotiations to the European proposal, which was previously called the 'French-German' [proposal]."
Serbia still refuses to acknowledge Kosovar sovereignty and is blocking its membership to international institutions.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hailed the deal -- mediated by Brussels between Kosovo's and Serbia's chief negotiators -- as a way "to avoid further escalation" amid fears the vehicle-registration row could spark ethnic violence.
Kurti also tweeted his thanks to international mediators and expressed hope that normalization talks could achieve results.
"No time for small ambitions," Kurti tweeted. "It's time for big steps."
"Yesterday's accordance paves the way for intensive talks on the full normalization of relations w/ Serbia based on the EU's Proposal supported by [France, Germany, and the United States]," he added.
He added special thanks to U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier.
Borrell has vowed to invite Serbian and Kosovar representatives in the coming days to discuss next steps.
Meanwhile, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told journalists in Belgrade on November 24 that ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo who quit their jobs earlier this month as police, judges, and civil servants to protest the license-plate mandate will only return to their jobs after the Association of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) is formed.
That association of communities with majority-Serb residents was agreed in the 2013 Brussels Agreement but has never officially come into existence.
Kurti, who initially came to power two years ago, has suggested municipalities cannot be organized along ethnic principles.
Serbia has maintained a "parallel system" of support for ethnic Serbs that Pristina regards as illegal.
Kosovo had planned this week to start issuing fines of up to 150 euros to some 10,000 Serb drivers who continue to use old Serbian-issued car license plates.
EU-backed talks earlier this week between Kurti and Vucic had failed to reach an agreement on the issue.
This week's deal calls for Serbia to stop issuing license plates with Kosovo cities’ "denominations" and Kosovo will cease further actions related to the re-registration of vehicles.