Opening Ibër Bridge: Testing, arrests, protests and reactions of the EU and the United States all that happened today

Preparations for the opening of the Iber River bridge have continued today. Heavy-weight trucks have crossed this bridge today to test its stability. On this subject, a public debate has been held today. Before leaving, police have arrested two Serbian politicians. A protest has been held. Internationals have now come up with reactions, making it clear that they do not support the government's plan. The European Union has warned additional measures if the situation does not change. The US Embassy has echoed the UN spokesman's statement, which said they are concerned by “the continuation of decisions packaged by the Kosovo leadership”.

The Kosovo government has continued today with plans to open the Ibër Bridge for vehicle flow, despite international opposition.

On the bridge today, trucks from the company “Bager”, which is owned by Deputy Minister Hysen Durmishi, who has been contracted by the Government for testing the bridge's sustainability.

Durmish said that the final report on whether the bridge is stable or not will be ready within two or three days. He stated that if the report turns out the bridge is not stable, other actions will continue.

“As you see today we are doing tests for the stability of the bridge over the Iber Bridge. We started two days ago... During the day it will end up as a process so that within two days we will have the final report of whether the bridge is stable or not. When the bridge opens I don't know but I know the bridge will open up that there's no reason to be closed. These are the last tests... based on what I know and experience as an engineer, this is the most stable bridge... if the report says it's not stable, we'll continue with the other”, Durmish said.

On the issue of opening the bridge, a public debate has been held today under the organisation of the Government of Kosovo and the Northern Mitrovica municipality. Turnout was small.

Local Power Management Minister Elbert Krasniqi, who was present in the debate, said it is absurd for the Ibër Bridge to be kept closed.

It is absurd that the bridge is still closed. We are sure that freedom of movement will be easier”, he stressed.

Kosovo Police Deputy Director for the Northern Region Veton Elshani said that as regards the security aspect, there is no reason for the bridge to remain closed.

We ask ourselves as the Kosovo Police why this bridge is closed, it would be nice of you to listen to why this bridge should remain closed, because from the security aspect of the space of the reason”, Elshani said.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti invited citizens of the Serb community, who make up the majority of the population in the northern part of Kosovo, to participate in the event. Kurti said those “could be announced on the benefits from opening the” bridge over the Iber River, has declared that “s unite us” and therefore, the main bridge in Mitrovica must be a symbol of normalisation.

Prior to the start of the debate, Kosovo Police arrested two Serbian politicians from the Serbian Democracy party, Allexander Arsenijevic and Stefan Velkovic, for obstructing officials who are painting the wall near the main bridge over Iber.

Because of the obstruction of officials, they were accompanied because they did not listen to police orders when they were told not to approach”, Elshani confirmed.

Their arrest prompted Serbs employed in Serbian public institutions in northern Mitrovica to protest before the North Mitrovica Police Station.

They were distributed only after the release of two Serbian politicians.

For this case, police later emerged with an official announcement, saying the same were beginning to prevent workers who were contracted and committed to cleaning up several x-rays with nationalist inscriptions, which were in the square near the bridge.

“Those in question have been warned several times not to interfere with work and leave, but the same have continued by preventing and not allowing work to be performed, and have provoked and provoked tensions. The relevant police units, with the aim of calming the situation and creating job opportunities, have been forced to act and have accompanied to police stations for interviewing two people. The people accompanied to the police station, after the interview were released”, police said.

In terms of recent developments, the closure of Serbia's Post Office branches in the north and the government's goal of opening Ibri bridge, the European Union has reacted again.

EU spokesman Peter Stano also warned toughness of the measures.

Instead of steps leading to lowering tensions, more and more steps have been taken and unilateral decisions leading to escalation. A world said the measures are progressive, they can be toughed or eased depending on the development of the situation. This part affects the first part of the question, what we will do [after the recent decisions of authorities in Kosovo]. So we have measures in place and these measures can be toughed if for such a thing all EU actors” agree, Stano said.

Stano said the European bloc has conveyed government of Kosovo stance in many ways and is not alone The EU, which is opposing the recent decisions of Kosovo authorities.

“Practically all of Kosovo's international partners are telling the administration in Pristina not to engage in this set of uncoordinated, unilateral and negative steps. I hope they will finally hear our message and stop us from considering what kind of measures we would decide in response [to Kosovo] if the situation does not change”, Stano said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo has distributed the US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller's statement, who said they are concerned with the recent “actions packaged” of Kosovo leadership.

In the quote published by the American Embassy in Pristina, the US reportedly encourages the Government of Kosovo to return to its close and constructive engagement with the United States of America, the European Union, NATO and other close partners.

“We are concerned by the continuation of decisions uncoordinated by the Kosovo leadership. We believe they endanger the possibilities that we have helped Kosovo create. If you look at the story since the independence of Kosovo, the United States has strongly supported its full integration into the international community as a multiethnic sovereign democracy, but to realise this vision, which is a vision we share, we have co-operated with Kosovo's successive political leaders for measures that boost peace and prosperity in the country, advancing Kosovo on this Euro-Atlantic path that you agreed to”.

And so that we would encourage the Government of Kosovo to return to close and constructive engagement with the United States, with the EU, with NATO and other close international partners of Kosovo. And we've made it clear to him as I make it clear publicly, we've made this clear to the government in private and to the”, the UN spokesman's statement.