The decision of the Municipal Assembly of Mitrovica to open the Ibri Bridge for vehicle traffic has been supported by the government of Kosovo.
In a written response to RTK, the government emphasizes that the first paragraph of Article 35 of the Constitution guarantees the free movement of citizens in the Republic of Kosovo in any place of residence.
"Any obstacle to freedom of movement violates this fundamental right. Therefore, the decision to remove such obstacles is a fair and proper action".
The KFOR mission has also reacted to the decision to open the bridge over the Ibër River to traffic.
KFOR said that "the reopening of the bridge is an issue that must be resolved through political dialogue".
"The reopening of the bridge is an issue that must be resolved through political dialogue. The NATO mission, KFOR, continues to monitor local developments and remains fully focused on the day-to-day implementation of its mandate, based on Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, to ensure a secure environment and free movement for all communities in Kosovo", KFOR said.
The EU mediator for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajçak, has said that now is not the right time to undertake this action.
According to him, this could constitute another crisis in the country, while he added that last year, the European Union continued to deal with crisis management.
Lajçak added that the solution of the Kosovo-Serbia issue is among the most strategic challenges, as he said that Albanians and Serbs live in the entire region.