Baraliu: Through its wrong policy, EU separated Mitrovica's residents who had lived together for centuries

Constitutional law professor Mazllum Baraliu assessed that news of the possible opening of the bridge over the Ibar between South and North Mitrovica is good news, emphasizing that security conditions on the ground are now better, which, he says, is also the conclusion reached by the European Union.

Baraliu stressed that, instead of contributing to bringing residents together, the EU's policy led to their separation.

“That was primarily the European Union's wrong policy, and not only in that regard. In other words, instead of bringing together a city and the residents of a city who had lived together for centuries, they separated them. This is the result of the European Union's short-term policy and foreign policy, and unfortunately, this was not limited to just one mandate,” Baraliu said.

He added that, instead of encouraging dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, certain structures contributed to the blockade.

“In a city that is located in a state that should and does have a responsibility to ensure that dialogue with Serbia, in this case Kosovo, proceeds in a good manner, through sincere models and methods of engagement, they simply blocked it. That was wrong from the beginning. It turned out that this was unnecessary, and certain structures were also established there that were supported directly or indirectly by some KFOR structures in that area,” he said.

Baraliu is certain that residents want to live together, which, according to him, is also the conclusion the EU has now reached.

“They have always lived together. That coexistence, as I say, has existed for centuries and still does. And I think that is good news, and it is obvious that the situation there is better. Anyone who wants to see and understand this can see that it is much better than it was. And as a result of this, it is obvious that the EU has probably, as it has otherwise stated, reached the conclusion that there is no need for this separation and that people should not be divided,” Baraliu concluded.