Radojevic: The announcement of the opening of the Ibar Bridge is a step towards abolishing the North Mitrovica Municipality

Former mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojevic, believes that the announcement of the opening of the main bridge on the Ibar is a step towards the ultimate goal of the authorities in Pristina to abolish the municipality of North Mitrovica.

"Such announcements and similar ones are aimed at further pressuring the Serbian community in northern Kosovo and Metohija. I think the ultimate intention is to abolish the municipality of North Mitrovica, and the opening of the main bridge is just one move towards that ultimate goal, which the Albanians in Pristina and Prime Minister Albin Kurti have," Radojevic said.

Commenting on the statement of Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Police for the North Region, Veton Elshani, regarding the opening of the main bridge that divides North and South Mitrovica, he emphasizes that the bridge is a symbol of many conflicts and that there are reasons why KFOR personnel have been stationed on that bridge since 1999.

"Veton Elshani's statement is truly dangerous. Since 1999, there have been many incidents and attacks from the south on the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. A lot of blood has been spilled on that bridge, and there is certainly a justified reason why it is closed. I must mention that the bridge is closed only to vehicles, not to pedestrian traffic, and there are many bridges between the southern and northern parts of Kosovska Mitrovica that people use for traffic," Radojevic noted.

He recalls that over 1,000 interethnic incidents have been recorded by KFOR and the Kosovo police on the bridge that divides the two municipalities. He appealed to the international community to stop issuing statements and instead come to the field to see the conditions in which Serbs live in northern Kosovo.

"There is certainly a reason why representatives of the international community still insist that this issue be discussed in Brussels and not through unilateral actions. Every action taken by Pristina leads to further escalation, to raising tensions. We have repeatedly warned that any action they take can cause a reaction on the ground. From this place, we continue to appeal and call on the international community to stop writing statements and tweeting, but to come to the field and see the reality and the conditions in which Serbs live in northern Kosovo and Metohija. To talk to the citizens and see for themselves what the reaction would be and what consequences the implementation of such an announcement could have on the security situation," Radojevic concluded.