Simic: The Bridge on the Ibar is a bulwark for the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo; its opening can have far-reaching consequences

The vice-president of the Serb List, Igor Simic, pointed out tonight that Albin Kurti had only one goal, even through the opening of the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica - that there were no Serbs in Kosovo, but he said that in Kosovo there were those Serbs who would not leave, no matter what pressure they were under.

"The bravest ones who won't leave are the ones left," Simic emphasized in the "Hit Tweet" show on TV Pink.

He said that the circumstances regarding the proposal to open the bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica were complicated and complex and that only those who did not understand the importance of that bridge, as a bulwark for the survival of the Serbs in the north, could criticize the opposition to its opening.

"The freedom of the Serbs in the north, but also of the other people living in North Mitrovica, was built and paid for with blood on the Mitrovica Bridge. That's why the opening of that bridge is only possible with the consent of the Serbs, who fought and preserved their survival. We paid dearly for that freedom because we fought to preserve the only urban environment in which the Serbs live in Kosovo and Metohija," Simic explained.

He pointed out that there were many bridges in Kosovo, but there were no Serbs around them.

"There are many bridges in Pristina as well, but no one asks where the several thousand Serbs who lived in that city are," Simic emphasized.

He also pointed out that the statement regarding the opening of the bridge, as well as many other issues, including the vote in the Council of Europe, caused only a sense of injustice among the Serbs.

"We are all aware of the hypocritical attitude of the representatives of the international community. The opening of the bridge in Mitrovica and a million other issues that stand in the way of the coexistence of the Serbs and Albanians can only be solved by political will, which currently exists only on the side of Belgrade," Simic underlined.

He pointed out that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, was aware that a way had to be found to make the relationship between the Serbs and Albanians work, so that, if they could not live together, at least they could live next to each other.

The request to open the bridge in Mitrovica is, he underlines another form of pressure on the Serbs.

He pointed out that there were five other access roads that connected the south and north of Kosovo, and that there were no arguments that would lead to the urgent need to open the bridge. This, he believes, is the political pressure of Kurti, who wants to become an "occupation Gauleiter" in the north of Kosovo at any cost.

He expressed regret that there was "silence of the international community" on the ground regarding this plan, which undermined not only dialogue but also the peace and security of all who lived in Kosovo.

"We appeal to the international representatives who were given a mandate in 1999 to take care of the safety of all citizens, not to allow the opening of the bridge because it could have far-reaching consequences," Simic emphasized and added that there had been warnings that the opening of the bridge could almost certainly lead to into conflicts.

In this regard, he recalled that from 1999 to today, according to international data, there had been more than 1,000 ethnically motivated attacks on that bridge, all of them from the south to the north.

He said that only the CSM could protect the basic human rights of the Serbs in Kosovo, and that had not happened 10 years after the signing of the agreement.

"We believe in President Vucic, and we once believed in the EU, we believed that there is credibility, that there is a rule of law, and that is why none of the Serbs are looking forward to May 2 with enthusiasm, just because someone announced the start of talks on the Community," Simic said.

He said that the Serbs did not expect anything from that meeting because Kurti had said on several occasions that he would not form the CSM, because he was aware that the Community would preserve the Serbs in Kosovo, and his complete actions, his political program spoke in favor of the fact that he wanted a Kosovo without the Serbs.

He pointed out the fact that the EU had welcomed illegal, illegitimate, container elections in which 11 Serbs participated out of 43,000 on the voter list, which had only shown what it meant when the Serbs were united and stood by their country and president.

We know how difficult it is, but we believe that Vucic will defend the interests of the Serbs and Serbia in Brussels

Simic also said that the Serbs from Kosovo, although they were aware of how difficult the talks in Brussels were, were sure that at the meeting on May 2, President Vucic would fight for the interest of the Serbs and that in impossible conditions he would save what could be saved.

"And it is up to us to stand firmly by his side, to be his support to fight for Kosovo and Metohija, for something that brings together the Serbs wherever they live," Simic said.

When asked about the criticisms of certain representatives of the opposition, Vuk Jeremic and Borko Stefanovic, Simic appealed to President Vucic to never take into account Jeremic's advice, because, although he was now talking about the importance of the United Nations, negotiations from the UN, where Serbia had had a better position, moved to the EU, where Serbia's negotiating team was fighting to preserve national interests.

"What advice Jeremic and anyone else can give? Albanian media thanked him on the front pages for his infantile question to the International Court of Justice, which he asked knowing what the answer would be, which today Pristina uses as an argument," Simic pointed out.

He also stated that in 2011, Borko Stefanovic had signed an agreement according to which the Serbs had had to take out Kosovo identity cards and move to central Serbia for 90 days, then return to Kosovo, practically, to be foreigners in their own country.

"The recognition of diplomas, identity cards, license plates, that is the Agreement from 2011. But we are here, who are living the problems arising from that agreement, and we do not allow them to divert attention from what they did with lies and fabrications," Simic said.

An economically strong Serbia means the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo

Simic also pointed out that an economically strong Serbia meant the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo.

"Without a strong Serbia, there is no survival, there is no investment in the Serbian environment," Simic emphasized.

He stated that maybe people who lived passing by the Belgrade Tower every day or rode the fast train "Soko" did not notice the changes, but for those who came from Kosovo, they were very visible.

He noticed that precisely thanks to the "Milos Veliki" highway, he traveled an hour shorter from Kosovo to Belgrade, and that was what life meant.

Simic reminded that at the last meeting of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, with the representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo, more than 30 million euros had been decided for the Serbs in Kosovo.

When it came to infrastructure projects in Kosovo, he stated that the Hospital Clinical Center in North Mitrovica was being reconstructed and that so far only one part had been completed, which had provided 600 new square meters for the treatment of the oldest citizens.

He pointed out that the University building was being built, and that now with 10,000 students, Kosovska Mitrovica was finally getting a University building.

"If there was no strong and powerful Serbia, if fiscal consolidation had not been implemented, if Serbia had not been raised from its knees, there would be no possibility to provide support to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Simic emphasized.

He pointed out that an economically strong Serbia meant a strong Serbian army, which was the guarantor of peace and security for all Serbs, including those in Kosovo, as was the policy of the President of Serbia.

"Serbia existed even before 2012, but it was on its knees, and then it was not able to meet the needs of citizens in central Serbia, let alone in Kosovo," he pointed out.