Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has defended his recent remarks about potentially changing the course of the Ibar River, insisting that he was not threatening anyone but was discussing what he described as Serbia’s right to manage waterways within its territory.
Speaking during a visit to Prijepolje on Monday, Vučić responded to criticism from Kosovo officials, who had described his earlier comments as a threat.
“I am resolving waterways on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the domestic law of the Republic of Serbia,” Vučić said.
He said scientists, engineers and other experts would be asked to assess possible options and make recommendations on how such a project could be implemented.
“I did not threaten anyone. I am not Kurti to threaten people. I am not threatening anyone. We will simply deal with our own problems. We have our own interests and we are dealing with our interests,” Vučić said.
He also invoked the history of the area surrounding Lake Gazivode, which was created by damming the Ibar River in northern Kosovo.
“And where Lake Gazivode is today, where it was yesterday, I don’t know whether it will be tomorrow or where it will be, Serbs lived,” Vučić said.
He insisted that Serbia would approach the issue through its domestic legislation and state institutions.
“There is no great philosophy. The state will deal with it. Our domestic legislation, and that’s it,” he added.
Vučić first announced on Sunday that Serbia was bringing together experts from the construction sector, engineers and others to examine how the course of the Ibar could potentially be altered.
“When they are already mistreating our people so much, let’s see. We have various reasons for changing the course of the Ibar, and then we will see what the Albanians will do and how they will behave,” Vučić said at the time.
He described Serbia as a sovereign state that would act according to its own interests.
The remarks have drawn concern in Kosovo, where the Ibar and the Gazivode water system are considered strategically important for water supplies, energy production and the wider regional environment.
