The opening of the Ibri bridge in Mitrovica for number two in the Government of Kosovo is a topic that must be treated seriously. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, at the same time the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla, strengthening sovereignty without increasing the risk is the most fruitful strategy of the executive. She warns of positive steps on this topic, but adds that they are aware that they should not endanger the security of the country. On the other hand, the opening of the Ibri bridge is also welcomed by the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, but they emphasize the need for coordination with allies, while they have doubts that this decision is being taken for an electoral agenda. Meanwhile, political analysts ask the government to open the bridge without much political noise, despite saying that the stability of the Serbian community in the north is not what it used to be.
Donika Gërvalla for KosovaPress does not say when the government will take action to open the bridge, as she says that the moment there will be movement, the citizens will see it.
The head of the AAK Parliamentary Group, Besnik Tahiri, considers the opening of the Ibri bridge that connects South Mitrovica, inhabited by Albanians, and North Mitrovica, inhabited by Serbs, necessary. However, he raises doubts that this action is being done for an electoral agenda. Despite this, Tahiri requests coordination with the United States of America for the opening of the bridge, so that, as he says, there will be no reversal of this decision.
Meanwhile, the political analyst, Dritëro Arifi, declares that he does not expect much pressure from the international allies for not opening the Ibri bridge, despite the fact that the countries of QUNIT and KFOR have declared that it is not the moment for the bridge to be opened.
He says that the opening of the Ibri bridge is more of a humanitarian and human rights issue, so it should be given the green light.
The revitalization of the Ibri bridge was foreseen in the agreement on freedom of movement, reached between Kosovo and Serbia in 2015 in Brussels. Although the works with EU million investments were completed 6 years ago, the bridge continues to be closed to cars.
Despite this, the EU has stated that it is not the moment for the bridge to be opened for security reasons.
Exactly today, ten years have passed since the removal of the barricades on the Ibri bridge in Mitrovica, placed by parallel Serbian structures./E.Zeqiri/
