Vucic: I will appeal to people in Europe and Washington to help us, I will ask them not to open the bridge over the Ibar

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that he is concerned by Pristina's announcement that it will open the bridge over the Ibar in North Mitrovica on September 1, adding that he would contact everyone to prevent this from happening and that, as he put it, he would first call on Europeans to help and then turn to Washington.

Asked by journalists during a visit to the final works at the Raska Elementary School to comment on the announcement by the Kosovo authorities that they would take over the bridge from KFOR on September 1, and on the fact that many Serbs in Kosovo are very afraid because children are also starting school on September 1, Vucic said that everyone was afraid of this.

„I am afraid, and everyone is afraid, which is why we will appeal and ask. I will call again, and I will not hesitate to call anyone by phone, even if I have to call Washington, anyone who can help with this issue. I will first ask people in Europe to help. If people in Europe want to help, if they can, they will, they will, if they cannot... and I will call Washington and ask them as well to prevent this from happening“, Vucic stressed.

He emphasized that there had been enough persecution of the Serbian and Christian population in Kosovo and expressed his belief that people in Washington would understand this.

„I believe, I have no guarantees, but I will reach out to everyone, ultimately, to appeal for my people, for the freedom of our people, and for the peace and well-being of our children“, President Vucic said.

Last week, Vucic sent a letter to Rutte, in which he expressed deep concern over KFOR's decision to withdraw from the bridge over the Ibar and include the Kosovo Police in the „security architecture“ in the area of the Visoki Decani Monastery.

He stressed that this move had been premature and that KFOR's security assessments had not adequately identified all the risks to the security of the Serbian and other non-Albanian populations in northern Kosovo, as well as to the security of the monastery, which is a jewel of Serbian and world cultural heritage.

Kosovo Online also addressed the issue of opening the main bridge over the Ibar to traffic in its analysis.