Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has condemned plans to open the main bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica, accusing the international community of turning a blind eye to what he described as the persecution of Serbs in Kosovo.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Vučić said he would send a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte asking him to prevent the opening of the bridge, although he expressed doubt that his request would be accepted.
“They must politically justify their wrongdoing in 1999 and 2008, their wrong decisions, and push Kosovo toward independence at any cost. They are not interested in the position of the Serbs,” Vučić said.
He also referred to the recent case involving Nenad Rašković, a Serb from Dren, who has alleged that he was assaulted and mistreated by members of the Kosovo Police. Vučić accused the international community of initially expressing concern over images of Rašković and then failing to follow up.
He argued that the main bridge over the Ibar could not previously have been opened without the consent of Serb mayors in northern Kosovo, particularly the mayor of North Mitrovica.
“Today they can do that as well. And this is being done by the Turkish commander of KFOR. I will soon write to Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, and I do not believe he will respond to my letter or accept my request that this not be done,” Vučić said.
He said he expected to send the letter either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Vučić described the situation as a major disappointment but said it also demonstrated, in his view, growing political pressure on Serbia.
“It tells us some other things as well: that nervousness has entered their ranks, that they do not know how to force Serbia to accept an independent Kosovo,” he said.
Vučić added that Serbia would continue to seek ways to support Serbs in Kosovo.
He also accused European countries and the wider international community of tolerating what he characterized as the displacement and mistreatment of Serbs.
“It is a great shame for Europe, for the whole world, to accept the persecution of a people from their homes — daily harassment, intimidation, the destruction of houses and everything else,” Vučić said.
The main Ibar bridge, which connects the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica, has remained a major political and security issue since the end of the Kosovo war. Any decision regarding its opening to regular vehicle traffic has the potential to further heighten tensions between Kosovo’s authorities and the local Serb community.
