EC to N1 on Kosovo driver’s licenses: We welcome the step

The European Union (EU) has expressed approval of the steps taken by the Pristina authorities to allow Serbs from northern Kosovo to obtain driver’s licenses issued by Kosovo.

“The EU welcomes all the steps taken to continue allowing as many Kosovo Serbs as possible to benefit from Kosovo-issued driving licenses,” European Commission (EC) spokesperson Peter Stano told N1.

He added that the EU is encouraging Kosovo to implement further measures to facilitate the acquisition of “Kosovo documents.”

“Furthermore, we encourage Kosovo to adopt further measures that would facilitate as many Kosovo Serbs as possible to obtain further Kosovo documents, especially a Kosovo ID which is required to obtain a Kosovo driving license,” Stano said.

The deadline for exchanging Serbia-issued driver’s licenses for Kosovo ones, set by the authorities in Pristina, expires on Friday, August 23.

According to Radio Free Europe, by August 22, 6,325 Serbia-issued driver’s licenses had been swapped for Kosovo ones, mostly in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north - Northern Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok.