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Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti insisted on opening the Ibri Bridge in Mitrovica despite opposition from the QUINT countries.
Kurti presented the government’s plans to open the Mitrovica Bridge over the Iberia River to diplomatic representatives of QUINT and EU countries at a meeting held in Pristina on Friday, his office announced in a press release.
“This bridge must therefore be opened. It is for everyone and against no one. Freedom of movement and the rule of law do not endanger peace and security, but on the contrary,” the statement noted.
Earlier on Friday, US Ambassador to Pristina Jeffrey Hovenir said after a meeting with Kurti that the QUINT countries and NATO do not support the opening of the Ibri Bridge in Mitrovica at this time.
QUINT includes the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.
According to the announcement, the Kurti government’s plan foresees “testing the stability of the bridge infrastructure, assessing the risks and exposure to natural disasters, carrying out a visual revitalization of the bridge to make it accessible to all, discussions with citizens and stakeholder groups and a comprehensive awareness campaign on the benefits and purpose of opening the bridge”.
The Communist Party of Serbia, the main party of Kosovo Serbs and backed by Belgrade, had earlier expressed opposition to opening the Iber River bridge.
She said the move was aimed at “further destabilizing the situation on the ground.”
The bridge is currently open to pedestrians only, but as part of the dialogue it has been agreed to open it to traffic.
Italian soldiers from NATO’s Kosovo mission, KFOR, patrol a bridge over the Iber River, with Kosovo police also nearby.
Meanwhile, the EU said the issue of opening the Ibri Bridge should be a topic of dialogue with Serbia.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani objected, declaring Thursday that “such a thing would be a serious violation of our country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitution.”
As part of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the two sides agreed to open the bridge to traffic, but this has never been achieved in practice. Only one side is open to pedestrians.
Discussions about the bridge have been renewed in recent months after the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly called for the bridge to be fully open to traffic.
The municipality in northern Kosovo is led by Erden Atiç of the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement.
Since 1999, the main bridge across the Iber River divides Mitrovica into the south, which is mainly inhabited by Albanians, and the north, which is mainly inhabited by Serbs.
RFE earlier spoke with Albanians in South Mitrovica and Serbs in North Mitrovica who were divided over whether the bridge should be opened.
For the Albanians, the opening of the bridge would be a “sensible thing to do”, while for the Serbs it would be a decision that would increase tensions. /REL
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