With the conclusion of the license plate agreement, tensions increase between Kosovo and Serbia.

Prishtina refuses to extend the implementation of the rule that forces residents in areas with an ethnic Serb majority to return Serbian-issued car license plates by obtaining Kosovo license plates.

“We have already postponed the deadline. Instead of September 30, the last date is October 31 when all citizens of Kosovo who have cars with outdated license plates will be able to return them to legitimate license plates. I call on all citizens to convert the cars with those license plates into legal ones”, said Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

While the license plate conversion is accepted by many, the issue is indicative of ongoing ethnic tensions since Kosovo gained independence from Serbia in February 2008.

It has been recognized by the United States and major European Union countries, but Serbia, backed by its ally Russia, refuses to do so, as do most of the ethnic Serbs inside Kosovo.

About 50,000 people living in Serb-majority areas of the north use license plates issued by Serbian authorities and refuse to recognize Kosovo institutions.