BY OPENING BRIDGE OVER THE IBAR RIVER, KURTI SEEKS TO BREAK RESISTANCE OF SERBS IN SOUTHERN SERBIAN PROVINCE

BELGRADE, AUGUST 18 /SRNA/ - The Mayor of North Mitrovica, Milan Radojević, said that the ultimate goal of opening the bridge over the Ibar is to eliminate the municipality, as this would enable Albin Kurti to break the resistance of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.

Radojević pointed out that since coming to power, Kurti has used all available resources in an effort to eliminate the separate municipality of North Mitrovica and merge it with South Mitrovica, noting that this is also part of the program of his Self-Determination party. He said that North Mitrovica is an administrative, educational and cultural center for Serbs, housing the Clinical Hospital Center and the university, and as such is crucial to their continued presence. “It is clear to Kurti that if he were to break North Mitrovica, he would break the resistance of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Radojević told RTS. He stressed that Serbs received the statement from Brussels that conditions had been met for the opening of the bridge with a great deal of disbelief and unease, and recalled that KFOR had made a similar security assessment and reduced the number of troops ahead of the March 2004 pogrom. “These are scenes and memories that are once again being brought back to the minds of residents of North Mitrovica, as well as other Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. We have made it clear to the KFOR commander on several occasions and asked him to increase KFOR’s presence, especially ahead of the verdict in the trial of former KLA leaders in The Hague,” Radojević said.