Baraliu: The issue of the Ibar Bridge on the agenda because of the political goals of certain circles

Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Pristina, Mazllum Baraliu, says that the issue of opening the bridge on the Ibar River is unnecessarily complicated, all because of, as he said, the political goals of certain political circles, both in Kosovo and abroad.

In a statement for Kosovo Online, Baraliu pointed out that the issue of the bridge is an internal matter, not only of one country, namely Kosovo but also of the municipality to which it belongs, in this case, North Mitrovica.

"Unnecessarily, and due to certain political goals, it was placed on the agenda of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in Brussels, and it has in some way become an international issue between Kosovo and Serbia. However, a decision, or rather an agreement, was made there with the mediation of the EU, and in the meantime, the bridge was opened for pedestrians. But certain circles did not agree for the bridge to be opened for vehicles,” Baraliu said.

He notes that the issue was also raised due to certain government goals, as elections approach, as well as other objectives, and that it was once again brought to the forefront through statements from the Quint countries.

He is convinced that this is unnecessary.

"I was in North Mitrovica two or three weeks ago as an expert for UNDP and the Agency for Statistics regarding the census. Absolutely everything I saw in other municipalities, I also saw in North Mitrovica, with some things even more orderly than in other places. The citizens have understood that coexistence and unity are necessary for the future," Baraliu said.

He notes that the political elites in Kosovo and Serbia, and even the EU’s foreign policy, which, he says, was neither correct nor guided by the principles it should uphold, have led to the resurgence of this issue.

"There were protests, and this discussion, the situation around two members of a party from the Serbian community... Things are unnecessarily complicated due to the political goals of certain political circles, both within the country and outside it," Baraliu believes.