Kosovo-Serbia Deal on IDs Raises Implementation Question, Expert Says

It is "difficult to estimate when exactly implementation will begin", Igor Markovic of the Mitrovica-based NGO Aktiv told BIRN about Saturday's verbal agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on crossing borders using only IDs.

Serbia and Kosovo agreed that neither side will require any additional documents for border crossings, besides those that people already have, like IDs, it was announced on Saturday.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's video statement from Saturday said the two sides agreed that citizens of both states will be able to pass the border freely with only the documents they have already.

"Under the EU-facilitated Dialogue, Serbia has agreed to abolish the entry/exit documents for Kosovo ID holders and Kosovo agreed to not introduce them for Serbian ID holders," Borell said.

"Kosovo-Serbs, as well as all other citizens will be able to travel freely between Kosovo and Serbia using the ID cards," he added.

The deal was the first time Albin Kurti and Aleksander Vucic had agreed on something more than 13 months since they first faced each other in Brussels.

However, the deal is only an oral agreement. Serbia's President Vucic clarified on Sunday that this is "an oral agreement, the [previous] one in writing was made in 2011".

There is also no official information either on implementation. However, Markovic said: "Iimplementation itself will not require the introduction of special administrative measures or new bureaucratic practices on the part of Serbia, which will significantly contribute to the earliest possible start of the implementation of the agreement."

He added: "The question is whether Serbia will definitely start implementing the agreement in light of the still missing...