EU Commission warns Kosovo it risks being alone if it doesn't listen to 'friends and allies'

BELGRADE, Serbia

The EU Commission warned the Kosovo government on Friday that if it does not listen to friends and allies, it risks being left alone, and urged it to reconsider reopening the main bridge over the Iber River for traffic as a unilateral decision would have consequences.

"I can only remind all those who have a problem listening and understanding that all friends and allies of Kosovo (EU, USA, NATO, Great Britain...) have said very clearly and unequivocally that it is in the interest of Kosovo to listen to friends and allies, otherwise it risks to be left alone and to be left behind," EU Commission’s chief spokesman Peter Stano said at a press conference in Brussels.

Stano's remarks came after Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Thursday described his earlier statement as “racist.”

According to Stano, the EU has nothing new to say about Kosovo’s attempt to reopen the main bridge on the Iber River in Mitrovica, the city which separates Albanian and Serbian, to vehicle traffic, stressing that this issue should be discussed during negotiations with Serbia.

Last week, about 600 Serbs protested in North Mitrovica against Kosovo’s announcement that it would reopen the main bridge to traffic, who were saying they would not feel safe if the bridge is reopened.

Stano reiterated what the EU had advised Pristina several times: "Good governance entails reaching out to and engaging with the communities affected by specific decisions."

"Dealing with the bridge issue as part of the dialogue with EU support entails discussing the implementation modalities of agreements reached, rather than new agreements. You should really listen and try to understand the unanimous, well-intended advice of all friends and allies," he emphasized.

A series of steps by the Kosovar government have increased tensions, including making the euro the only legal currency in Kosovo, effectively outlawing the use of the Serbian dinar.

Nine branches of the Serbian Post Office, or Posta Srbije, which operates in northern Kosovo, were closed in an operation carried out by the country’s institutions on Aug. 5.

Bridge divides public in Kosovo

Although the Kosovo war ended 25 years ago and independence was declared 16 years ago, Mitrovica, with Albanians in the south and Serbs in the north, remains a "divided city."

The main bridge over the Ibar River, which divides the city into south and north, has been closed to vehicle traffic since 1999, and only pedestrians can cross.

The bridge has been frequently a source of conflict between Serbs and Albanians.

Kosovo wants the bridge reopened to vehicles so that people can freely move between the majority-Serb north and the ethnic Albanian areas of Mitrovica, which is divided into a northern and southern municipality.

NATO's peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) currently controls the bridge and maintains a permanent troop presence and patrols in the surrounding area.

Italian KFOR patrols with several vehicles are stationed on the north side of the bridge, while Kosovo police patrol the south side.

On August 7, approximately 600 Serbs protested in North Mitrovica against Kosovo's announcement.

KFOR has repeatedly warned that it would respond to any possible deterioration of the security situation at the bridge and reiterated that all decisions regarding the opening of Mitrovica's main bridge must be made through dialogue in Brussels.

The municipality of North Mitrovica held a public meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation with citizens, civil society activists, and local media representatives, as well as to inform the public about the benefits of opening the bridge, so that representatives from Kosovo institutions could address their concerns.