EU issues warning to Kosovo amid ongoing Mitrovica bridge dispute
An EU spokesperson warned Kosovo’s government on Friday that ‘all of Kosovo’s friends and allies [the EU, the USA, NATO, and the United Kingdom] have clearly and unequivocally stated that it is in Kosovo’s interest to listen to its friends and allies’ who oppose the reopening of the Mitrovica bridge, ‘otherwise, it risks being alone and left behind.’
Why is it relevant
The plans of Kosovo’s government to reopen the bridge for vehicle traffic have ignited a fresh dispute between the government and its Western allies
Context
he bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica has been closed to vehicle traffic for several years due to frequent clashes that have occurred since the 1999 war.
The bridge is currently open only for pedestrians, although it was agreed, as part of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, that it would also be opened for traffic.
The EU snd the US insist the issue should be resolved as part of the EU-mediated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels, rather than as a unilateral move by Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s government. Kosovo Serbs strongly oppose the reopening, claiming it will undermine their security.
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