QU INT, NATO go against opening Ibër Bridge, Kurti insists

QUINT ambassadors held a meeting with Prime Minister Albin Kurti today, where it was suggested that they do not support any change in Ibri Bridge status.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier was cut off after the meeting, declaring the QUINT countries along with NATO did not support the Ibër Bridge opening issue

“We representatives of France, Germany, Italy, Britain... met with Prime Minister Kurti to inform him that our governments in consultation with NATO cannot support any change in the current status of the Mitrovica bridge currently”, Hovenier said.

However, Prime Minister Kurti did not oppose these international positions, saying the bridge should be opened because it is not against anyone and that freedom of movement does not jeopardise peace and security.

In the Government's announcement, Kurti reportedly presented the plan for opening the bridge, which according to them envisions testing, discussions and campaigning, adding that consultations and co-ordination will continue.

This meeting was held just eight years after discussions that were held on August 2nd 2016 in Brussels regarding the implementation of the Mitrovica Bridge Agreement under dialogue in Brussels, which was then followed by the European Union's Plan for the opening of the Mitrovica Trust Bridge and two-way vehicles. Prime Minister Kurti presented diplomatic representatives of the QUINT and EU states with the Government's plan to open the Mitrovica bridge over the Iber River. The plan envisions tests for the bridge's infrastructure stability, risk assessment and risks from natural disasters, visual revitation of the bridge access to the bridge for all, discussions with citizens and interest groups, and the comprehensive information campaign on the benefits and purposes of opening the bridge.

Consultations and coordination continue. As the European Union's plan for revising the bridge says, the Mitrovica Bridge on Iber will become a symbol of normalisation of relations in Kosovo. The same plan says that its <x0 realisation will greatly contribute to facilitating contacts between all citizens of North and South Mitrovica and will thus contribute to exchange and understanding”. So the bridge has to open. She's in service to everyone, and she's not against anyone. Freedom of movement and rule of law do not endanger peace and security, on the contrary.

The bridge is a symbol of free movement, which is the fundamental value and freedom of the European Union. The bridge is a symbol of integration, which is Kosovo's common business with our partners.

The government is also for free movement and citizens integration. ”

Although Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced in mid-July that the government aims to open the main bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica, NATO's military mission in Kosovo, KFOR had stated that any decision to open it should be made under the dialogue for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which is mediated by the European Union.

The bridge, currently, is only open to pedestrians, though, within the dialogue, has agreed to open up for traffic as well.