Milovic: Citizens clearly said they do not want new bridges on the Ibar, Kurti’s move is escalatory

The Vice President of the Serb List, Dragisa Milovic, stated that he expects the KFOR commander to prevent the construction of two new bridges on the Ibar River, given that KFOR is responsible for the security situation in northern Kosovo.

Speaking as a guest on RTS, Milovic thanked the citizens for collecting nearly 4,000 signatures in just three days on a petition in North Mitrovica against the construction of the bridges, thus, as he emphasized, clearly stating that they do not want them.

"This is a political project of Albin Kurti, which has no support among the Serbian people. Serbs were not consulted about it, and there was no public discussion. This is all part of the political campaign that Albin Kurti is currently running ahead of the local elections. We have informed the Quint embassies in the area, the EU embassy, the US embassy, the embassies of all countries present, as well as members of KFOR, EULEX, and all international missions," the Vice President of the Serb List emphasized.

Since the EU has distanced itself from the construction of the new bridges in its statement, Milovic says he expects a stronger response from the international community.

"Serbs were not consulted; this was done non-transparently. Kurti is in a hurry because the President of the Assembly hasn't been elected, so he wants to gain points in the north. The international community is so far only responding with mild statements and telling Kurti to refrain from building the bridges. We expect concrete results, primarily for the KFOR commander to state his opinion and prevent the construction of these bridges. Let me remind you, the main bridge on the Ibar is under the jurisdiction of KFOR, security structures, and EULEX police, all due to safety concerns. If it is assessed that the main bridge is unsafe, how will building two new bridges affect our citizens? We believe they will only complicate an already complex situation in the north, which is why KFOR should stop the construction of these two bridges, as they are the most responsible for the safety of people in this area," Milovic emphasized.

When asked what would happen if the international community does not respond adequately, Milovic stressed that in that case, they will be complicit in implementing a political project.

"I sincerely hope it won't come to that. If it does, the international community will undoubtedly be complicit in the implementation of a political project by Albin Kurti and Self-Determination. There are three bridges on the Ibar that are passable for both vehicles and pedestrians. The excuse about freedom of movement doesn't hold. This is a political project, a unilateral, escalatory move by Kurti, and we expect the EU, KFOR, and the international community to stop it," he said.

Asked whether the construction of the bridges will increase tensions, Milovic answered affirmatively and said that citizens are worried.

"Kurti will do everything to make life more difficult for Serbs. He has done everything to try to ban the Serb List," he said.

Since it has been reported that more goods are now entering Kosovo, the Vice President of the Serb List says this is a clear indicator of the necessity of Serbian goods in Kosovo.
"In the first few months of 2024, Serbian goods worth 50 million euros entered Kosovo, and now, in six months, it is about 110 million euros. This only shows how much Serbian goods were lacking for citizens, other communities, and even Albanians. Serbian goods have been present here for decades and are of excellent quality. Unfortunately, someone is trying, by banning Serbian imports, to make room for goods from Albania, which are of much lower quality," he said.

Since the German Embassy in Pristina announced that scanners for goods inspection at border crossings will not be delivered until next year, Milovic recalled that in October last year, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also expressed doubt in the Pristina authorities' sincere intentions to allow Serbian goods imports.

"I hope the international community will recognize this. It violates the CEFTA agreement. We hope other crossings will be opened, not just the one at Merdare. Our citizens are facing enormous problems and hardships; we even lacked IV solutions, and a humanitarian crisis was looming. Only one crossing at Merdare is open for Serbian goods, there are long waits, and transport costs have risen as a result. We expect the other crossings to be opened as well because there is no reason against it. Now, the alleged issue is of a technical nature because the scanners haven't been delivered. This is all due to Pristina’s insincerity and a deliberate effort to make life harder for Serbs in Kosovo," the Vice President of the Serb List concluded.