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Kosovo is delaying implementation of a provision to confiscate cars owned by Kosovo Serbs who refuse to use local license plates for their cars, Kosovo media reported.

Pristina has tried several times this year to get Kosovo Serbs to change their old car numbers from before 1999, when Kosovo was still part of Serbia.

However, this move was met with resistance from the local Serbs who live in the northern part of the country, BTA recalls.

The last deadline was November 1, when about 10,000 drivers had to change their Serbian license plates to Kosovar ones.

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At a government meeting yesterday, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the decision to re-register car plates will be implemented gradually.

"These car numbers are illegal ... we want to give everyone who is interested a chance to integrate," Kurti said.

He added that the decision was taken to respect the rule of law, but also to respond to the concerns of Western countries.

The government has decided that the re-registration will take place gradually within six months, the Kosovar publication "Koha" specifies.

Drivers will first be warned for three weeks, then fined for a period of two months, followed by a period of temporary car plates and if they do not change their number plates by April 21, their vehicles will be impounded.

Local Serbs threatened to block roads, as they had done before, if Pristina took any steps to prevent them from using their cars.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but around 50,000 ethnic Serbs who live in northern Kosovo refuse to recognize Kosovo authorities and still consider themselves part of Serbia.

"Kosovo has the right to apply the license plate regime... but the extension is in the interest of making progress in the EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia," US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was quoted as saying from Reuters.

He added that his administration was "disappointed and disturbed" by Kurti's refusal in recent days to delay the decision for another 10 months.

Mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States, Serbia and Kosovo have been negotiating for years to normalize relations, but progress has been modest.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by about 110 countries, mostly Western, but not Serbia, China, Russia and others.

Kosovo and Serbia

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