The EU envoy Miroslav Lajčak, during his recent visit to Pristina on September 6, brought with him the news that the issue of the Iber Bridge will not be discussed in the Brussels dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. Although he did not state this directly, his discourse was different from previous times when he discussed which parties Kosovo should negotiate with regarding the bridge. This shift has also been reflected in NATO’s stance.
Alma Baxhaku
“The opening of the bridge [Iber Bridge] should be done in close cooperation with Kosovo’s international partners,” said Lajčak in his media statement in Pristina after a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi. They discussed topics for the upcoming negotiations at the negotiators’ level in Brussels.
Lajčak did not include Serbia as a party to be consulted regarding the Kosovo bridge. Kosovo has recently insisted that this issue is considered resolved in past Brussels agreements.
“We also discussed the Iber Bridge and its opening for vehicle traffic. I believe the EU’s stance is well known, but I will repeat it: the bridge must be opened, but its opening should be done in close cooperation with Kosovo’s international partners, and we discussed the details of this,” said Lajčak.
NATO’s mission in Kosovo, KFOR, which has a fixed presence over the symbolic bridge dividing the Serb-majority north from the Albanian-majority south, had previously stated that this issue should be agreed upon within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue facilitated by the EU.
In a response to Radio Free Europe in May of this year, KFOR had called for any decision regarding the main bridge over the Ibar River to be made within the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue mediated by the European Union.
KFOR continues to be engaged in dialogue on this issue, but in a response to Gazeta Express, it states that Kosovo should negotiate with the international community without mentioning the Brussels dialogue.
“Our stance on the potential opening of the Iber River bridge in Mitrovica for vehicles has been transparent and consistent throughout. Any decision in this regard must be made through dialogue and in timely and effective coordination with the international community. Meanwhile, KFOR will maintain its fixed presence at the bridge and continue regular patrols in the surrounding areas,” KFOR said in its response to Gazeta Express.
Nevertheless, KFOR has consistently supported resolving Kosovo-Serbia issues through the Brussels dialogue. This was also emphasized by NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Thomas Goffus, who visited Kosovo at the end of August and met with Prime Minister Kurti.
He stated in Pristina that sustainable peace cannot be achieved by increasing KFOR troops, but that the two neighboring states must engage more in dialogue.
“Over the past year, we have increased the number of troops in Kosovo to address, unfortunately, a more challenging security environment and recurring tensions. This again shows the unwavering political commitment of NATO allies and partners to sustainable security throughout Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans. Although more troops are unfortunately necessary at the moment, they are not the solution for long-term peace and stability in Kosovo. The solution is political. It is essential that both Pristina and Belgrade engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue to resolve outstanding issues. We continue to urge all parties to implement existing agreements without delay,” Goffus said.
Goffus also said it is “vital to have timely and effective coordination with NATO and the international community,” and that this applies to various issues, including the Iber Bridge.
Recently, President Vjosa Osmani also stated that the idea of negotiating a bridge within Kosovo’s territory at the same table with Serbia has been removed. She even claimed credit for this ‘victory’ for Kosovo.
“Now there is no insistence that this issue should be discussed with Serbia due to my continuous insistence with both the EU and NATO and individual countries that it would be an extraordinary harm if this were negotiated with Serbia. Serbia has no say in this matter, but with our allies, I don’t understand why there is all this resentment about being together around a table. But aren’t we precisely seeking to unite on these Euro-Atlantic tables?” Osmani said in an interview with Kallxo.
Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, following his meeting with Lajčak, stated in a release from the Prime Minister’s Office that he emphasized Kosovo’s stance that the opening of the main bridge in Mitrovica over the Iber River is a matter addressed and agreed upon in Brussels, within the EU-mediated dialogue process, and it should be opened according to the existing agreement and conclusions of the 2020 European Commission report, which states that the bridge works have been completed and it should be opened without further delay or obstruction.
This has certainly annoyed the official Belgrade. Serbian chief negotiator Petar Petković had expressed his dissatisfaction with Lajčak over the change in position.
“What has changed in Miroslav Lajčak’s position on the bridge since August? The EU said that the opening of the bridge could only be resolved through dialogue, as shown by Lajčak’s tweet. Today we hear from him that this issue depends only on the agreement between Pristina and the international community. Lajčak is moving the bridge agreement away from the dialogue, and only yesterday did he declare this issue as a main topic of discussion in Brussels. Why?”
In recent times, both the president and the prime minister have commented on when the bridge might be opened.
Kurti, during a visit to the north three days ago, stated that the Kosovo Government is ready for the opening and is only waiting for the QUINT and KFOR.
“Consultations and coordination are ongoing. We are ready to open it and are only waiting for QUINT and KFOR.”
Meanwhile, Osmani said she believes that the bridge could be opened in 2024 and stated that “there is no demand to keep the bridge closed forever, but there is a demand to agree on the moment.”
