Drecun: Opening the bridge on the Ibar opens the way for Pristina to expel the Serbs

Milovan Drecun, the President of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, warned that the opening of the bridge on the Ibar river would open the way for the Albanians to attempt to expel the Serbs and cause destabilization with a massive incursion into northern Kosovo, RTS reported.

Drecun emphasizes that the simulation of elections was held last week in northern Kosovo and that it cannot be treated as the expressed will of the majority of citizens. If there is no expressed will of the majority, he says, there is no basic democratic principle because the majority decides in every democracy.

"This is actually institutional violence that Pristina is conducting against the people in the north by forming these alleged municipal assemblies and mayors," Drecun emphasized.

Regarding the bridge on the Ibar river, he points out that there are several other bridges that are not problematic for movement, but that bridge is the most important to Pristina and the Albanians.

"Let's remember events since the arrival of international forces. All attempts by Albanians to penetrate northern Kosovo and Metohija, to literally occupy it and expel Serbs, went through that bridge. Remember the mass protests where there were thousands and thousands of Albanians, many of them extremists, who opened fire from automatic weapons at Serbs? They fired from sniper rifles from the southern part of Mitrovica, all in an attempt to cross over that bridge," Drecun reminded.

He adds that the bridge was the subject of discussion in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on several occasions, that some solutions were offered, and that some agreements were reached.

However, he emphasizes that now suddenly Pristina wants to open the bridge for traffic, and it represents a factor threatening the survival of Serbs in northern Kosovo.

"It is good that the KFOR command has stated that this issue must be resolved through dialogue, not this one-sided attempt by Albanians. Second, Belgrade is trying to calm the situation with Pristina through negotiations," Drecun believes.

He says that tomorrow there will be a very important meeting at which, as EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak said, it will be possible to discuss other political issues.

"I assume that this newly created situation can also be discussed," Drecun said.

He points out that the Serbian people have known for all these years to resist pressure and defend their right to survival in northern Kosovo and to a free life.

Drecun warns that by opening the bridge over the Ibar, a path would be opened for Albanians, as he says, to attempt a massive incursion into northern Kosovo to expel Serbs and cause destabilization.

"This bridge is not just a symbol of freedom. This bridge is very significant if someone has aggressive aspirations towards Serbs in northern Kosovo and Metohija and if they would try to use special police units or the so-called future army of Kosovo to solve things with violence in northern Kosovo and Metohija," Drecun emphasizes.

He points out that the exit strategy of Prime Minister Albin Kurti is to try to reject the formation of the CSM by provoking massive violence in northern Kosovo.

According to him, Pristina is behaving like a classic merchant, considering that they have generally accepted the formation of the CSM.

"They have traded, and they have traded well. They got visa liberalization, the start of candidacy for membership in the EU, and they won elections in northern Kosovo. They were farcical, but the West recognized them and didn't complain. They formed some local authorities that are now trying to impose unilateral solutions. They believe that they should continue in that direction because they see support from the West," Drecun says.

According to him, the West now wants to "cynically" force Serbia with the story that an alleged agreement has been reached to fulfill some obligations allegedly undertaken by the Serbian side.

Drecun believes that there are political solutions in this situation and that it is necessary to achieve a political solution.

"In these circumstances, it would not be possible to form the CSM as envisioned with ten municipalities because these four municipalities and their alleged councilors would certainly not vote for such a thing. First, we need to reach an agreement on the statute that will be on the agenda and then start the implementation. Even if an agreement is reached, the newly created political environment in the north will have to be changed, which means that the election results will have to be invalidated," Drecun emphasizes.

Whether to hold new elections or create conditions for the start of the CSM formation for the return of Serbian political representatives to Kosovo institutions is another question, Drecun says, but he concludes that a solution can be reached if there is political will on the part of Pristina.

"However, I am concerned about what Pristina is doing and that the West is not doing anything to stop it," Drecun said.