Kosovo delays measure stirring tensions with minority Serbs

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo's authorities early Monday moved to ease mounting ethnic tensions in the country by delaying a controversial order on vehicle license plates and identity cards that triggered riots by minority Serbs who put up roadblocks, sounded air raid sirens and fired their guns into the air.

The Kosovo government accused neighboring Serbia of instigating the riots in order to destabilize the country that declared independence in 2008 after a NATO intervention that stopped Serbia’s bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists in 1999.

Officials in Kosovo had earlier decided that as of Aug. 1 they would resume the practice of requiring vehicles that enter from Serbia to replace Serbia license plates with Kosovo ones. For the past 11 years, the reverse was required by Serbia for vehicles driving from Kosovo that transit through Serbia.

Kosovo also is planning to block its ethnic Serb minority from using only the Serbian identity cards when crossing the border.

After discussions with European and U.S. partners, the “reciprocity” license plate and identity card plan was being postponed for a month, until Sept. 1, the Kosovo government said.

EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said he welcomed the move, adding that he expected all roadblocks “to be removed immediately.”

A Kosovo government statement said that many “aggressive acts” like blocking roads and shot-firing in the northern areas dominated by ethnic Serbs took place on Sunday and accused Serbia of inciting them.

Kosovo was part of Serbia until an armed uprising in 1998-1999 by the territory’s ethnic Albanian majority triggered a bloody crackdown by Serbs. A NATO bombing campaign to force Serbia’s troops out of Kosovo ended the war. But Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo’s 2008...