Meeting in Brussels on November 21, from left to right Aleksandar Vučić (President of Serbia), Josep Borrell Fontelles (High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), Miroslav Lajčak (EU Special representative for the Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Slovakia), Albin Kurti (Prime Minister of Kosovo). Photo by the Council of the EU Newsroom, republished with permission. Two days after Kosovo and Serbia failed to reach an agreement on the row centering on a decision made by the Kosovo government to ban Serbian-issued license plates after a long dispute, the EU announced on November 23, that the issue is now resolved. The EU's high representative, Josep Borrell, who held fruitless talks on November 21 in Brussels with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a bid to resolve a long-running row over vehicle license plates, two days later seemed enthusiastic announcing the deal: We have a deal! Very pleased to announce that Chief Negotiators of #Kosovo & #Serbia under EU-facilitation have agreed on measures to avoid further escalation and to fully concentrate on the proposal on normalisation of their relations. — Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) November 23, 2022 Borrell said that Kosovo will end further actions related to the re-registration of cars; meanwhile Serbia will no longer issue car license plates with the names of Kosovo cities. The government in Pristina argues that license plates predating the Kosovo's 1999 war for independence from Serbia can no longer be valid. It says the 50,000 Serbs in northern Kosovo, who only accept local Serb institutions, must now use Kosovo plates. The license plate issue has been a source of contention for some time, with local Serbs in Kosovo preferring to use plates issued by Belgrade that Kosovo considers illegal. The row sparked repeated flare-ups over the summer. The EU in August brokered a deal to allow free movement between Kosovo and Serbia, seeking to ease tensions after a series of violent incidents. But the situation deteriorated. Earlier this month Kosovo Serbs resigned from their positions as MPs, mayors, judicial officials and police officers in a coordinated protest against alleged breaches of agreements made between Serbia and Kosovo in Brussels. Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced a delay on the implementation of the fines after the failure to reach an agreement on Monday, because the US asked for it. The US intervention pushed Kosovo and Serbia to find common language on the car license plate issue. Here's what Kosovo's prime minister and president had to say: No time for small ambitions, 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 🇫🇷, 🇩🇪&🇺🇸. Thankful to @USAmbKosovo Hovenier for his role, support & dedication. — Albin Kurti (@albinkurti) November 24, 2022 I want to thank @USAmbKosovo Jeff Hovenier and the U.S. Government for their active engagement in reaching today’s deal in Brussels. Their support for the dialog process b/w Kosovo & Serbia is indispensable. 🇽🇰 is grateful. — Vjosa Osmani (@VjosaOsmaniPRKS) November 23, 2022 Washington was quick to welcome the deal: The United States welcomes the agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia to avoid further escalation of tensions and to concentrate fully and urgently on normalizing relations under the auspices of the EU-facilitated dialogue. https://t.co/MoQGmRAxlL — Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) November 24, 2022 But Serbia chose another interpretation of the Brussels deal with Kosovo. The Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said existing “KM” number plates issued for Kosovo Serbs in the northern town of Mitrovica, and used throughout Serb-majority northern Kosovo, will remain in use despite the agreement, according to BIRN. “KM plates, as far as new cars are concerned, there are up to 90 of them per year, and as far as renewals are concerned, they run normally and there is no obligation anywhere in this regard,” Vučić told media in Belgrade on Thursday. Kosovo and Serbia started negotiations for the normalization of relations in 2011, with the mediation of the European Union. The negotiation process is expected to end with legally binding agreements. Although Kosovo declares that this agreement should include mutual recognition, Serbia does not accept, insisting on a “compromise solution.” During the second half of 2022, the license plate dispute has been used as the most visible issue by various political actors, as well as propaganda and disinformation purveyors within the Western Balkans region and beyond.