A day before Kosovo and Serbia start reciprocity for waiving the issuance of entry-exit documents for their citizens who cross the border between the two states, Serbia has placed an announcement at border crossing points.

At the border crossing point between Kosovo and Serbia, in Jarinje, on the Serbian side, notices have been placed stating that the possibility of crossing the border with identification documents issued by Kosovo is “for purely practical reasons” to make freedom easier of movement, based on the Agreement on freedom of movement that the parties reached in the Brussels dialogue in 2011.

This cannot be interpreted as recognition of Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence; does not prejudge the determination of the final status of Kosovo; cannot be interpreted as a waiver by Belgrade of the rights granted under Resolution 1244 of the year 1999 of the United Nations Security Council”, says the announcement placed near the border control points.

On August 27, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on the abolition of the issuance of entry-exit documents. For 11 years, Serbia has issued such documents to citizens of Kosovo upon entering the territory of Serbia. Kosovo only applied this part of the 2011 Freedom of Movement Agreement for a few hours on August 1.

The Kosovo Government’s decision on entry-exit documents and the re-registration of cars with Serbian license plates increased tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, culminating in the installation of barricades in northern Kosovo on July 31 and August 1.