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Kosova

QUINT countries oppose it, Kurt insists on the opening of the Ibri bridge

Politiko 2024-08-02 13:24:02

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has insisted on the opening of the Ibri bridge in Mitrovica, despite the opposition of the QUINT and NATO countries. During a meeting on Friday in Pristina, Kurti presented to the diplomatic representatives of the QUINT countries and the EU, the Government's plan for the opening of the Mitrovica bridge over the Iber River, his Office announced in a press release.

"Therefore, the bridge must be opened. It is in the service of all, and is against no one. Freedom of movement and the rule of law do not endanger peace and security, on the contrary," the announcement states.

Earlier on Friday, the American ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, said after the 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, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. According to the announcement, the plan of the Government of Kurt foresees "tests for the infrastructural stability of the bridge, the assessment of risk and risks from natural disasters, the visual revitalization of the bridge with access on the bridge for all, the discussions with citizens and interest groups as well as the comprehensive information campaign on the benefits and goals of the opening of the bridge".

Lista Serbe - the main party of Serbs in Kosovo, which enjoys the support of Belgrade - spoke earlier against the opening of the bridge over the Iber. According to it, such an action aims to "further destabilize the situation on the ground".

The bridge is currently only open for pedestrians, although, as part of the dialogue, it has been agreed to open it for traffic as well. Italian soldiers of KFOR, the NATO mission in Kosovo, are patrolling the bridge over the Iber, while members of the Kosovo Police are also nearby.

The European Union, meanwhile, has said that the issue of opening the Ibri bridge should be a topic of dialogue with Serbia. This was opposed by the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who declared on Thursday that "such a thing would be a violation serious issue of sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutionality in our country".

In the framework of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the parties have agreed to open the bridge for traffic, but this has never been realized in practice. Only one side of it has been opened for pedestrians. Discussions about the bridge have been updated in recent months, after calls to the Municipal Assembly of North Mitrovica for the bridge to be completely opened for traffic.

This municipality in the north of Kosovo is led by Erden Atiq from the ruling party, Vetëvendosje Movement. Since 1999, the main bridge over the river Ibër has divided Mitrovica into the southern part, inhabited by an Albanian majority, and the northern part, inhabited by a Serbian majority. .

Albanians in South Mitrovica and Serbs in North Mitrovica - with whom Radio Free Europe spoke before - are divided on whether the bridge should be opened. For Albanians, opening the bridge would be a "wise thing", while for Serbs decision that increases tensions./ REL