Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that Belgrade has protested to Western powers after the acting government of Kosovo laid the foundation stones for the construction of two new bridges over the Ibar River.
"They have done many things and now we have seen that they have laid the foundation stones for two bridges, without obtaining the consent of the Serbian people and the people of North Mitrovica, because this would mean a final exodus," Vučić told Informer television, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Balkan Service reports.
On July 1, the acting Government of Kosovo laid the foundation stones for the construction of two new bridges over the Ibar River, which divides Mitrovica into the southern part inhabited by Albanians and the northern part inhabited by Serbs.
One bridge is planned to be for pedestrians and the other for vehicles.
Kosovo authorities said the project, worth around 3 million euros, aims to improve traffic and promote cooperation between residents on both sides of the river.
However, reactions on the ground are mixed - some support this initiative, while others see it as unnecessary.
The new bridges will be placed on the left and right sides of the main bridge, which is part of the Kosovo-Serbia Agreement on Freedom of Movement, reached within the framework of the dialogue for the normalization of relations in Brussels.
However, the EU previously told Radio Free Europe that they are not involved in this project and are not even aware of it.
According to the EU, any decision to build infrastructure on the Ibar River must be taken carefully and in a comprehensive manner - fully involving all communities affected by this issue. /REL/ (A2 Televizion)
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