Three days after the full opening for traffic on the Ibër Bridge, the government of Kosova said that the decision to remove the obstacles is a fair one and that it serves all citizens of Kosova without any distinction.
The Government of Kosova has called the initiative of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly for the full opening of the bridge over the River Ibër to traffic as a fair decision.
After the last war in Kosova, the bridge over the River Ibër divided Mitrovica into two parts, in the southern part with an Albanian majority, and in the northern part, inhabited by a Serbian majority.
“The decision to remove such obstacles is a fair and proper action. Kosova belongs to all its citizens and they enjoy the right to move freely throughout its territory,” Kosova government spokesperson Përparim Kryeziu was quoted as saying.
The members of the North Mitrovica Municipality approved the request for the opening of the bridge on April 28. The Serbian List, the largest party of Kosovo Serbs stated that said decision “violates the Brussels agreements and directly threatens peace”.
The Serbian List asked from KFOR, EULEX and representatives of the international community to “urgently prevent the implementation of this decision”. Even the president of Serbia, Aleksandër Vucic, reacted. According to him Prime Minister of Kosova wants to “remove the Serbs” from Kosova, adding that the Kosovar leader “wants conflicts at all costs”.
On the other hand, Miroslav Lajçak, the special envoy of the European Union for the Kosova-Serbia dialogue, emphasized that now “is not the right moment” for the opening of the Ibër Bridge.
The bridge over the River Ibër or “revitalization of the bridge” has been a topic of the dialogue between Kosova and Serbia for the normalization of relations, which is mediated by the European Union.
The parties had agreed that the bridge would be open to traffic. But, in practice this never happened and only one side was opened for pedestrians.
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