Kosovo risks being left “alone and abandoned” if it does not listen to its friends and allies, said the spokesperson of the European Union (EU) Peter Stano, commenting at a press conference in Brussels that the Kosovo authorities could open a bridge on the Ibar River in Mitrovica.
Commenting on the statement of the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who characterized the latest statements about the bridge from the European Union as “racist”, the EU spokesperson pointed out that the EU has nothing new to say on the subject of reopening the bridge.
“I can only remind all those who have a problem listening and understanding that all friends and allies of Kosovo (EU, USA, NATO, Great Britain…) have said very clearly and unequivocally that it is in the interest of Kosovo to listen to friends and allies, otherwise it risks being left only to be left behind,” said Stano.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Thursday called the statements of the representatives of the European Union (EU) about the bridge in Mitrovica racist and added that there is no reason to discuss the opening of the bridge on the Ibar River as part of the dialogue in Brussels.
“There is no reason and I am in any way opposed to the discussion on the opening of the bridge on the river Ibar in Brussels. We have nothing to ask Serbia about the bridge in Kosovo. No one should accept a dialogue on this issue with Serbia, it would be unconstitutional and against the sovereignty of our country,” said Osmani.
But Stano said that the issue of the bridge on the Ibar should be dealt with within the dialogue with the mediation of the EU, which means discussing the modalities of the implementation of the agreements reached on the bridge, and not new agreements.
The Kosovo government insists on opening the bridge on the Ibar River that separates Mitrovica into two parts because it is part of the agreement reached back in 2017, but such an initiative is currently not acceptable to the US or the members of the European Union.
Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević believes that the opening of the bridge on the Ibar would be tantamount to a disaster for the Serbs and would directly nullify all talks and agreements, put the dialogue process into question, and added that the opening of the bridge directly threatens the safety and survival of the Serbs in Mitrovica.
